


Destiny's Dance

by TaurusPixie



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Abuse, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Fluff, Graphic Description, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Mild Language, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Violence, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2019-09-23 02:50:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 95,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17072087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaurusPixie/pseuds/TaurusPixie
Summary: It all started with one simple and weird dream in which she kissed Chat Noir. It was from that moment that Marinette's life begins to spiral out of control with revelations and a mysterious stalker putting her relationships to the test. Above all, Marinette couldn't possibly be in love with both Adrien and Chat Noir? Right?





	1. Disturbing Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! I hope that you guys enjoy this story. Though please note that this story was written during the first half of season two, so it will massively divert from the main canon in parts. Also, this story does contain some graphic descriptions of blood later on (I just don't think it's bad enough to warrant an archive warning), some darker moments, hints of emotional and physical abuse, as well as a description of a panic attack. Trigger warnings will be in place for those chapters. If you feel like I need to change the rating or edit the tags, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Giggles of happiness and freedom filled the otherwise silent, night time air of the city of love. All was unusually quiet; no loud traffic or the sound of people and tourists bustling about the city. The moon hung large and full in the sky, the twinkling light of the stars reaching the earth with no immense light pollution to hinder their beautiful glow as all the lights in the city were off. This fact caused the mild air to fill with delighted laughter once again as a small, thin figure raced across the rooftops.

Ladybug had never felt more peaceful. Just her and all of Paris laid out before her. Her smile only grew wider as she kept on running, the silent streets and lack of light creating a surreal feeling, but it was amazing nonetheless. Her pigtails trailed behind her as she ran faster and faster, savouring the beautiful feeling; complete and utter freedom. Just her and the city.

The red and black spot attired hero of Paris paused on the tallest rooftop in the street, breathing a deep, contented sigh. The shadow of the Eiffel Tower stood tall in the distance and it would provide her with the best view of the city yet. She loved running like this, on her own in the dead of night, but usually it was much more noisy and colourful than this. Normally, her Ladybug superhero sense would be on red alert; this wasn’t exactly normal after all.

However, for some reason, Ladybug couldn’t bring herself to care. She was enjoying herself way too much, drunk on her weightless happiness. Patrolling the city with her ever trusty partner Chat Noir was fine, fun even, puns and all (although she’d never admit that aloud), but alone time was always nice, especially with a beautiful city laid out before you. To be alone with one’s thoughts was something Ladybug did enjoy every now and again, especially as they were hard to come by now that she juggled double identities: Paris’ beloved hero, a school girl with friends and responsibilities, class representative as well as helping her parents in their little, successful bakery. She could clear her thoughts or focus on one particular thought like which design she would like to do or think up gift ideas for her friends. It was bliss.

Hand clutched at her yo-yo tied around her waist, Ladybug was poised and ready to bolt for the Eiffel Tower when movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Startled, she whipped her head around to the source of the sudden movement; she thought she had been the only one out here, that she had the whole city to herself. Evidently not. She clenched her yo-yo tighter in her hand, ready to use it against any possible threat that appeared to be stalking her this dark night.

An involuntary gasp escaped past her lips, her grip on her weapon subconsciously loosening, and her blue eyes widened in shock, the rest of her body freezing in place. Stood on another rooftop a few metres away was a tall boy, eyes concealed in shadow by his golden blond locks, but she could sense his eyes looking directly at her. Ladybug immediately began blushing, however she could not contain her shock.

What was Adrien doing out here?

“A-Adrien?” Was all Ladybug could stutter out in confusion.

He said nothing in response, merely raising his hand, stretching it out towards her while the rest of his body remained frozen and unmoving, silently beckoning her. Ladybug could not resist heeding this siren’s call, despite her instincts screaming at her that something was wrong. Her body would not listen though as she slowly walked across the roof tiles and jumped onto the roof currently occupied by the love of her life. Unconsciously, she slipped her hand into his own, and before she knew it, he was pulling her close to him, a happy, innocent smile on his lips, although she was still unable to see his eyes.

Ladybug felt her whole body set ablaze as he wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her even closer. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest as she struggled to process the situation. But before Ladybug could even begin to comprehend, Adrien gently leaned his head down, licking his lips ever so slightly as Ladybug felt the entire world begin to spin around her. Her face grew even hotter as she realised what was about to happen.

Again, her mind was screaming at her that something was off, but she could not bring herself to listen as Adrien’s lips met her own. She had been waiting for what felt like an eternity for this day. For a few seconds, Ladybug let herself enjoy the sweet, innocent kiss, leaning her head to the side, ready to deepen the amazing moment between them, when she suddenly hesitated. Adrien wasn’t kissing Marinette, the girl behind the mask. He was kissing Ladybug. The superhero that everyone adored. The different version of her. The front she put on in order to keep Paris safe. That’s what Adrien had wanted to kiss, not the real her, not Marinette, just some faceless, unknown hero. No! She wanted Adrien to love _Marinette_. Anyone loving her as Ladybug was futile. It was dangerous.

She then had further cause to freeze when Adrien placed his leather hand on her cheek. Wait…leather? Ladybug abruptly ended the kiss, pulling back in shock at the foreign sensation against her cheek. Had the skin of Adrien’s hand not been bare?

Both of them pulled back and Ladybug gasped at the sight before her. Instead of Adrien, stood her partner and friend Chat Noir. She had just kissed Chat Noir?! But she could have sworn that it had been Adrien that had been stood there, beckoning her and kissing her. Ladybug felt her heart stop in her chest, going from one hundred kilometres an hour to just zero. The force of it made her breath get caught in her throat, and all Ladybug could do was stop and stare at Chat Noir in shock as he smiled softly at her, once again leaning in…

Marinette gasped loudly, her body shooting upright in her bed from her typical sprawled out sleeping position. Her fingers gripped her sheets as she stared straight ahead, eyes wide with fear before scanning her room. A dream. It had just been a dream. And a weird dream at that! Sure, she had many a fantasies and dreams about her and Adrien on romantic dates, kissing and cuddling, but Chat Noir creeping in there was a first. What exactly was that all about? Marinette frowned, cursing her brain for now making her feel all weird. The thought of kissing Chat Noir made her shiver, but a shiver of what exactly? She couldn’t quite pin it and that disturbed her even more.

“Marinette?” A little high-pitched voice suddenly asked. “Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?”

Her ever concerned and attentive kwami flew in front of her face and Marinette couldn’t help but blush. This was one dream she did not feel like sharing. It was too weird.

“Yeah, something like that.” Marinette forced a smile and scratched the back of her head nervously.

No doubt Tikki was about to ask about it when a sudden vibration interrupted before she could begin to say anything.

“Huh?” Marinette frowned as she climbed down from her bed, clad in her pyjamas of her own unique and beautiful design. She tried to lean and look out of the window as best she could before turning to her computer to check the news where a live broadcast awaited her.

“People of Paris, we urge you stay in your homes!” Nadja’s familiar voice filled the room. “Another akumatized victim is on the loose. Chat Noir is on the scene as we speak, still no sign of Ladybug though –”

That’s all Marinette needed to hear before she switched the broadcast off.

“I can’t believe I slept through an akuma attack!” Marinette exclaimed, eyes wide and placing her hands in her hair in frustration.

Tikki chuckled lightly, “Marinette, you can sleep through anything.”

Marinette refused to rise to the joke, instead deciding to get straight down to business, wrapping her purse over her shoulder.

“Tikki, spots on!”

As Tikki flew into her earrings, Marinette felt the familiar transformation over body as she was surrounded by pink light and magic. As soon as she was done transforming, she wasted no time in climbing up onto her balcony. Frantically looking around for the source of the current danger Paris was is, her eyes finally landed on a building in the distance which appeared to be on fire. Ladybug smirked, when in doubt, follow the destruction.

Ladybug quickly hooked her yo-yo around a distant chimney and before long, she was flying through the streets of the city. It didn’t take long for her to start hearing the screams of innocent civilians causing Ladybug to frown and clench her teeth together in anger. She hooked her yo-yo around the last lamppost needed to catapult her into the action. She landed gracefully on her feet, placing her hands on her hips as she bit her lip in concentration to survey what was happening.

In front of her was a clearly distressed woman, her skin a bright orange and red hair spiked up resembling a roaring fire. Her dress, which looked like it was originally quite fancy, was now the same brilliant red as her hair, flowing loosely down to her ankles as she slowly walked down the street, a large staff in her hand. Her ruby red lips smirked as she focused on something that was in front her. Ladybug followed her line of sight to see Chat Noir pulling himself off the ground from having obviously landed face first on the concrete of the road. Ladybug’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, a weird feeling bubbling in her stomach after the dream she had last night. Ladybug blinked, forcing herself to focus. Now was not the time to let the surreal dream of her friend get to her. She had a job to do.

Chat Noir’s head whipped around to smirk at her.

“Is that the best you can do, hot head?” He taunted.

Ladybug repressed an eyeroll before gasping as the akumatized lady pointed her staff directly at Chat.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” She growled out, the tip of her staff glowing from yellow to orange and to red.

Swinging her yo-yo, Ladybug hooked the string around her partner’s wrist, yanking him out of the way just in time as bright, hot flames blasted out from the tip of her staff, hitting the concrete where Chat Noir had been a mere millisecond beforehand. Ladybug swung Chat Noir towards her, him yelping in shock as she did so before it morphed back into a yelp of pain as he once again face planted the concrete ground next to her. He grunted before shaking his head and gazing up at her, his face lighting up at the sight of her. Ladybug bit her lip and looked away, unable to meet his gaze after that weird dream.

“Ahhh, nice of you to finally show up, Bugaboo. This should really heat things up now.”

“Please be serious Chat, this one looks dangerous,” Marinette calmly and lightly scolded, “And I am sorry for being late. I – err – may or may not have slept in.”

Chat smirked. “So, my lady is not a morning person I take it?”

Ladybug sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Especially on Sundays. So, what exactly is going on?” She asked as they both leapt out of the way of the akumatized victim’s gaze before she could try and scorch them again.

“Her name is Scald,” Chat Noir answered, turning into a more serious mode, “I get the sense that some dude broke up with her and now she’s out for revenge. She’s been trying to set most of central Paris on fire. Luckily, I don’t think anyone’s been hurt. I’ve managed to keep her pretty distracted waiting for you to arrive.”

Ladybug nodded. “Well I’m here now, so let’s end this, and quickly.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t want to play with fire now, would we?”

“No man will ever break my heart again!” Scald yelled manically, chasing after them and pointing her staff at them, a purple butterfly symbol appearing around her eyes.

Ladybug and Chat Noir both jumped back into the middle of the road, hoping that this way, if she did shoot out more fire, it wouldn’t hit any buildings. Scald landed a few metres away, a smirk on her ruby red lips before pointing her staff down at the tarmac beneath them. The super duo gasped as the very surface beneath them began to melt into a sticky substance, pinning them to the ground.

“Let’s see you try and get out of this,” Scald taunted, “now hand me your miraculous or watch the entire city burn!”

“Well, this certainly is a sticky situation,” Chat joked, however he was unable to hide the slight panic in his voice.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this. Hang on!” Ladybug instructed as she wrapped her left around Chat’s waist. He did as instructed and clung onto her as she swung her yo-yo and hooked it onto the nearest lamppost. She yanked on the string as hard as she could, willing for this idea to work. The two heroes began to be slowly pulled out. The tar continued in vain to grip their feet before the force of the yo-yo was finally too much and they were free.

They were both sent flying through the air at the force of their sudden release, but Ladybug swung them back around before they could hit a wall of a nearby building. Both of them dropped back onto their feet on a patch of grass that decorated the street before they smirked at the villain in front of them.

Scald growled before using the heat in the air to make herself rise up. “I guess you chose to watch the city burn then!”

“We’ve got to do something!” Chat yelled, clenching his fist as he glared up at her.

“Any idea where the akuma might be hiding?” Ladybug asked desperately, her eyes scanning Scald’s body for any object that looked out of place as she stopped in her ascent, her staff beginning to heat up.

“Perhaps an item her boyfriend gave her?” Chat mused.

Ladybug’s eyes zeroed in on the golden locket hanging around Scald’s neck.

“Of course! People keep pictures of loved ones in a locket.” Ladybug smiled, now sure that was where the akuma was hiding.

Chat Noir smirked, “I’m sure my handsome face would look amazing in a locket around your neck.”

Ladybug sighed, choosing not to retort before grinning as she threw her spinning yo-yo into the air. “Lucky charm!” She cried out. Magical ladybugs swirled around above her, creating the object needed in the battle against Scald. The object popped into existence, landing in Ladybug’s waiting hands.

“A fire extinguisher!” Ladybug happily exclaimed.

Chat Noir rolled his eyes. “For once, something that makes sense!”

Ladybug frowned; the only issue now was getting close enough to her up there to use it against her and grab the locket. Her eyes scanned around the area for ideas before coming to rest on the lamppost she had just used to save them from the melting tar.

“Of course,” Ladybug whispered before yelling at Chat Noir, “Chat, destroy that lamppost!”

“I’m on it!” He responded. “Cataclysm!”

Dark destructive magic enveloped Chat Noir’s waiting hand before her leapt towards the metal pole, placing his destructive magic on it. The metal of the pole began to turn dark as the magic travelled up the light. The metal creaked and buckled before it snapped out of the ground, crashing towards the building on the opposite side of the street, landing in a perfect ramp.

“Perfect!” Ladybug exclaimed.

Gripping the bright red fire extinguisher, the young hero began running up the pole, rapidly advancing on Scald whose staff had now turned bright red. Scald spotted Ladybug just in time, growling at the hero running towards her. She turned her staff away from the city buildings, now pointing it directly at Ladybug while Chat Noir gazed on worriedly.

“Maybe I can pick your earrings out of your ashes,” Scald growled out through clenched teeth.

Just as a blast of fire was about to erupt from her staff, Ladybug pointed the fire extinguisher directly at her, releasing a powerful jet of water that turned to steam as it came into contact with and put the emerging flames out. Scald screamed as the freezing water hit her body, and Ladybug used this opportunity to yank the locket from around her neck.

“No!” Scald cried out as Ladybug dropped the locket down to Chat Noir, who proceeded to drop it to the ground, stomping on it and breaking the small golden locket. The familiar black butterfly wiggled its way free and began desperately flying away.

Stroking her finger down the middle of her yo-yo, Ladybug cried out, “time to de-evilize!”

She swung her yo-yo around before releasing it into the air, easily capturing the escaping akuma and returning it to her. Ladybug released the now purified butterfly before grabbing her lucky charm and tossing it into the air.

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

All was well again. The flames were snuffed out as if they were never there and all of the damage to the area was healed in a swarm of ladybug magic.

“Uhh, where am I?” The woman who was now laying at their feet groaned. Her hair was still a brilliant red, but no longer spiked up, instead falling straight and slick down to her shoulders. Her pretty red dress that matched her hair was wrinkled, and she gasped as she gazed at the now healed locket on the ground. She didn’t even bother to pick it up, just staring at it sadly.

“I thought he loved me,” her voice broke.

“I’m so sorry.” Ladybug crouched down, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I know it hurts, but anger is never the answer, especially if it leads to rash decisions.”

“I know, I just – I just…” the woman’s lip quivered, “he was only dating me because I looked like his ex that he was still in love with. I was just a distraction and deep down he wanted the real deal instead of me. He broke up with me right in the middle of our date. I thought he was the one.”

Chat Noir placed a hand on her other shoulder. “It may hurt now, but time is an excellent healer.”

Ladybug smiled. “Exactly, and now you can go on to find your true soulmate,” she said gently. “People who treat others like that, they aren’t worth your tears.”

The woman sniffed. “Thank you for saving me from myself. I think I’m going to stay on my own for a while and plan out my next move in life.”

“Good idea,” Ladybug agreed as she and Chat Noir helped the poor young woman to her feet before letting her go as she began walking off. 

With a bright smile, Ladybug turned back towards Chat Noir.

“Pound it!” They both shouted, bumping their fists together in their usual playful, celebratory banter.

But something was different this time. The touch of Chat’s fist against hers sent an electric shock into Ladybug’s hand that travelled up her arm and into her chest. She gasped and pulled away which in turn also startled Chat.

“Is something the matter my lady?” He asked, deep concern lacing his voice.

Ladybug backed up slightly, panicking, once again not being able to look her partner in the eye. That touch, it had reminded her of her very awkward and weird dream. She knew it wasn’t Chat’s fault and she felt terribly guilty for reacting this way, but she was beginning to feel really uncomfortable. Her heartbeat picked up its pace and she clutched her hands to her chest, subtly pressing down in a futile attempt to slow her racing organ down. She felt beyond awkward, but how could she explain this to her kitty? _Sorry Chat, I kinda had a weird dream where we made out and now I feel all awkward around you?_ Yeah, that was definitely a conversation Ladybug did not feel like having. It would be so embarrassing! Not to mention it may even give Chat false hope, a pain Ladybug was not willing to inflict on him. Her heart belonged to Adrien!

“LB?” Chat pressed, now even more worried.

“Sorry!” Ladybug suddenly exclaimed. “Umm, lack of sleep?”

Chat Noir frowned, not buying her excuse, but any protest was cut off by the sound of the beeping noise of both of their miraculous.

“Gotta go!” Ladybug squeaked. “See you around Chat!”

“Wait!” Chat Noir cried out, but it was too late. Ladybug was already gone, swinging and running through the streets of Paris before she transformed back.

Chat Noir’s shoulders slumped, and he sighed in defeat. What exactly had gotten into his lady?

Ladybug quickly dropped into a deserted, dark alley just in time for her transformation to drop. Marinette sighed in relief as Tikki flew out of her earrings, positively exhausted. As she opened up her purse to grab her little kwami her favourite snack of cookies, Marinette yelped as she realised she was still in her pyjamas.

Tikki giggled as she took the cookie. “Well, you were in a rush.”

Marinette cringed. “Oh, I hope no one sees. This will be fun to explain without looking insane.”

“Calm down Marinette,” the ever patient Tikki reassured her holder, “I can transform you back as soon as I’ve finished and get you home without any embarrassment necessary.”

“Thanks, Tikki.” Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the brick wall behind her, her thoughts and emotions a swirling mess.

Soon enough, Tikki was finished, and Marinette was able to transform again, quickly taking off.

Unbeknownst to Paris’ greatest hero, the sound of a clicking camera echoed through the alley way as she took off. A tall dark figure wearing what appeared to be a black bowler hat and a black, knee length leather jacket emerged from around the corner, engulfed in shadow, watching Ladybug’s retreating form. 


	2. Crash Landing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos, comments and bookmarks, guys! It really means a lot to me!

As Ladybug continued to swing through the streets of Paris, the young hero’s heart began racing once again, and not through the exhilaration of flying through the air. She knew she had been incredibly unfair to Chat, and had probably worried the hell out of him. Ladybug herself couldn’t even truly fathom what had come over her. All she knew was that she couldn’t bring herself to face him.

Her dream had left her feeling incredibly weird, and she let out a sigh of frustration as she knew she was overreacting. It was just a silly and weird dream after all. Everybody had strange dreams every once in a while. It didn’t necessarily mean that they symbolised anything. It was probably because she was spending so much time around Chat Noir. They had been partners for way over a year now and had gotten quite close. Well, as close as they could be without revealing too much about themselves that might give their secret identities away.

Ladybug shuddered at the thought as she continued running across the rooftops, her family’s bakery still quite a trek away, but she didn’t mind. This run was doing her some good. It reminded her of the wonderful run she had undertaken in her dream.

That thought caused Ladybug to trip slightly, almost skidding off the tall roof, down to the busy street below. A few passers-by watched her with smiles on their face as they stared and admired the famous hero, but Ladybug paid them no heed this time. Normally, she’d smile back and wave, but for once, she couldn’t bring herself to face anyone.

Remaining at a standstill to catch her bearings and calm down from her near fall, Ladybug frowned and shook her head. She had to snap out of this. She was being completely stupid. But why couldn’t she snap out of it? Why had the dream spooked her so much? Was her subconscious trying to tell her to give into Chat Noir’s advances and flirt back? But her partner was mostly joking in his flirting…right?

No. She loved Adrien with every fibre of her being. He was the only one for her.

That made Ladybug wonder: was she placing Adrien in danger by pursuing him? No one knew she was Ladybug, and hardly anyone knew of her crush on him – as far as she knew –  so he was safe for now. But what would happen if one day she was successful? If she managed to win Adrien’s heart?

The thought sent a pleasurable shudder up the hero’s spine. A light blush began to creep its way onto her delicate, pale cheeks, and she couldn’t help but let out a dreamy sigh.

But…if they did start dating, would she one day have to tell him that she was Ladybug? Could she keep such a deep secret like that from someone she was madly in love with forever? And what if someone found out she was Ladybug? Adrien would become an obvious target.

Her dreamy expression morphed into a scowl. The situation certainly was tricky, but Ladybug made up her mind in an instant. Most definitely and positively, no one could know she was Ladybug. It would be a secret that she would take with her to the grave. She couldn’t afford to be selfish and tell anyone, no matter how much she trusted them and how close she was to them.

She would have to settle with Adrien never knowing, if they were to end up together. The thought pained her, knowing the love of her life could never truly know that part of her. But it was a price she had to pay. All of her excuses for her disappearances had worked with her friends and family so far, so maybe they would continue to always work. Everybody knew how clumsy and scatter-brained she could be.

Ladybug sighed before once again swinging her yo-yo in the hopes of getting home faster. She dreaded the moment she returned home. The bakery shut in the afternoon, meaning she wouldn’t have much to keep her occupied, to distract her from the grim thoughts currently plaguing her mind. The dream she had last night had most certainly screwed with her brain for the day.

She had even further cause to sigh in frustration as the sky grew darker, and little droplets of rain plopped onto her red suite. Before she knew it, the rain had grown heavier, her skin becoming dripping wet and her black hair becoming saturated. She would definitely need a nice hot shower when she returned.

Annoyingly, her mind drifted back to her dream again, wishing that her surroundings were as they were in her dream: mild and peaceful. She wished she could feel his warm lips pressed against hers again…

What?!

NO!

_BANG!_

Having stopped paying attention to her surroundings, Ladybug now found herself having crashed face first into some sort of wall of glass. Her nose throbbed as it had become squashed at an odd angle, and her limbs were sprawled out, frozen in shock at the sudden, unexpected collision as her hand retained its grip on the string of her yo-yo, which remained hooked around the pillar of the mansion she had just crashed into.

Her head began spinning slightly, unable to properly process what had just happened. Ladybug cursed herself for having been so stupid as to not pay attention to where she was going. Now some rich person was probably going to be angry with her.

“Oh my god, Ladybug!” A familiar voice cried out.

Ladybug squinted at the glass to get a better look inside where the voice had come from, only to see none other than Adrien Agreste staring at her, his green eyes startled and concerned, and his mouth agape.

No!

This could not be happening to her!

This was all Ladybug needed. Once again, she had embarrassed herself in front of Adrien Agreste, although for once not as Marinette. The whole world would now know of Ladybug’s shame, crashing into the bedroom window of her long-time crush, absolutely soaked to the bone. She must look really attractive now, her hair a frizzy, wet mess, her face and body still squished slightly against the window.  Ladybug thought this was just about a new low for her.

Adrien gently pushed on the glass so that it slanted open, most likely intending for Ladybug to climb in, instead she ever so gracefully slid down the glass pane, face-planting the hardwood floor beneath her. A stinging pain shot up her face, snapping Ladybug out of her frozen state as she yelped in pain, sitting up in a flash, clutching her face.

“I’m so sorry!” Adrien gasped out, his eyes still wide and arms flailing around slightly, wanting to place his hands on her in concern, but he wasn’t sure whether that would overstep her boundaries that he knew Ladybug always vigorously guarded.

“Are you alright?” Adrien asked instead.

“Yep, I’m good,” Ladybug squeaked before standing up, trying to save any dignity she had left after that. “S-sorry about crashing into your window.”

Adrien chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away awkwardly. “It’s alright, although not something I was expecting.”

Ladybug giggled as well, though it came out nervous and slightly manic sounding. She internally cursed herself again. “I-I wasn’t attention paying – I mean – uhhh – p-paying a-attention.”

Adrien’s eyes then met her face and he gasped, his smile suddenly fading. “You’re hurt!”

“W-what? Pffft naaah, I’m good.” Ladybug tried to act tough and casual but this was thwarted by her sudden shivering from having just been in the cold rain.

Adrien frowned slightly, but his eyes remained gentle and kind. “Don’t be so silly, it’s okay, I’ll sort you out.”

Before Ladybug could protest, Adrien disappeared into what she remembered being the door to his en suite. She continued to stand there, shivering and blushing like crazy. She could not believe she had just crashed into the bedroom of the love of her life.

She brought her hand slowly up to her face and gently touched the area that was stinging so badly. She gasped and yanked her hand away as she felt a large patch of broken skin situated on her right temple. She gazed down at her fingers and saw a small amount of blood staining her red suite covered fingers.

She knew she had hit the floor hard, but not that hard!

This was so humiliating!

Ladybug closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, mentally willing the ground with all the force she could muster to just swallow her up right now. No such luck though, despite her power of good luck. Ladybug often wondered if she even truly possessed that power at all, or if Tikki had just been telling fibs.

While Adrien was gone, Ladybug took this opportunity to properly look around his room. She had been in here on more than one occasion as Ladybug when Adrien or his father had been in danger, but she had never had a proper chance to look around and take the room in.

It looked like Adrien had everything he could ever possibly want in here. The room was huge with a large double bed in the corner, a rock climbing wall, basket ball hoops, a piano, giant TV set and computer, and a whole wall dedicated to his game, movie and book collections. As far as Ladybug could remember, his room had not changed much this past year and a half.

Something on his wall by his bed soon caught her attention though. A giant Ladybug poster. No Chat Noir, just Ladybug, which made her eye twitch slightly in embarrassment.

So, he was a huge Ladybug fan then? The sight gave Ladybug mixed emotions. On the one had she was flattered, but another part of her cringed internally as feelings of insecurity bubbled up inside her. Great, how could Marinette compete with that? She knew she was being ridiculous, after all, she _was_ Ladybug, and was getting jealous of _herself_ – but still.

Before she could dwell on those thoughts much longer, Adrien quickly made his way back into the room and strode over to Ladybug, still stood by the window, afraid to intrude in his room any further. In one hand, he carried a small green first aid kit and a large, folded up, fluffy towel in the other. He placed the first aid kit down on the ground before unfolding the towel and wrapping it around Ladybug’s shoulders.

“You’re freezing,” he commented, a worried look on his face. “What were you doing out and about anyway? I thought you didn’t normally patrol at this time?”

Was he telling her off? Ladybug frowned before his last sentence sunk in.

“How do you know what times I patrol?” Ladybug asked, her heart beginning to thud a little quicker in her chest.

Adrien froze before blushing and looking down at his feet. “T-the Ladyblog, yeah, the Ladyblog, i-it often shows when you’re out and about patrolling.”

“Oh.” Was all Ladybug could lamely respond with as she couldn’t resist wrapping the towel tighter around herself.

She barely noticed Adrien visibly relax again slightly out of the corner of her eye. The towel was incredibly soft and cosy; no doubt it was very expensive. It smelled like him too, and Ladybug couldn’t resist subtly taking a deep breath, breathing in his intoxicating scent as he remained distracted, fiddling around inside the first aid kit.

Ladybug could feel her heart melting in her chest at Adrien’s kindness and willingness to help her. He really was the sweetest person she had ever met, and her heart only swelled even more in her chest to make room for even more love for him – if that was even possible at this point.

“Thank you,” Ladybug managed to mutter without stuttering and freaking out.

“What?”

Ladybug smiled gently down at him. “Thank you for helping me. Most other people would be quickly taking pictures to document Ladybug’s clumsy moment.”

Adrien chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll never speak of your little accident. Besides, I’m not done helping yet, we still need to sort that graze out.”

Ladybug took a hesitant step back as Adrien finally pulled out a clear bottle of liquid and some cotton wool. He poured some of the liquid onto the cotton wool and Ladybug gulped, knowing the stinging pain that was about to come.

“R-really Adrien, i-it’s okay, you’ve already done enough.” Ladybug smiled awkwardly.

Adrien frowned again slightly. “You really should get that wound disinfected and cleaned my – um – Ladybug.”

Ladybug was too busy wallowing in her own embarrassment and awkwardness to notice his weird stutter just then.

“Why? Is your floor really dirty?” Ladybug teased effortlessly, managing now to remain in her Ladybug persona without letting too much Marinette slip out.

Adrien snorted. “You’re not _scared,_ are you Ladybug?”

Adrien used the time it took her to roll her eyes to close the remaining distance between them and gently dab Ladybug’s grazed temple.

“OUCH!” Ladybug cried out, abruptly backing away, pouting adorably.

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad. The sooner this is done, the better you’ll feel.” Adrien smiled trying to gently reassure her. “I never had you down as squeamish Ladybug?”

Ladybug gasped dramatically. “Me? Squeamish? Don’t be ridiculous.”

Adrien laughed. “Prove it then, _oh brave superhero_.”

He took a cautious step towards her, becoming more confident when Ladybug bit her lip, but didn’t move. He closed the distance again and gently dabbed the graze on her face, clearing the blood away and disinfecting the wound.

Ladybug suddenly became hyper-aware of how close Adrien was stood to her. A light blush arose on both of their cheeks as Adrien attentively tended to her. Ladybug’s heart was doing somersaults in her chest to the point she was worried she would go into cardiac arrest. She became surrounded by his scent, both from the towel and from his close proximity to her.

She continued shivering, although it was no longer from the cold. Her blood felt like it had turned to fire that was now spreading around her body, and her face began to heat up even more. Her eyes wildly scanned the room, trying to look and focus on anything other than Adrien being so close to her and kindly taking care of her.

She wanted to squeal, she wanted to dance, she wanted to kiss him with everything she had. But she couldn’t. The impulse did not stop driving her wild though.

Again, she forced herself to remember that she was Ladybug, not Marinette right now. And even if she was in her civilian form, she still couldn’t just grab Adrien and kiss him, as much as she wanted to. No doubt Adrien would reject her and wonder what the hell was going on. She had to keep her hormones in check.

Instead she tried to focus on the stinging sensation on her face as a distraction. It still hurt, but not as badly as before, and Ladybug wondered how exactly she was going to explain this to everyone.

She mentally slapped herself as she remembered she went to the same school as Adrien. He could put two and two together and then it would be all over for her!

Trying to calm herself down, she reminded herself that she had some make-up at home that she could use to cover it up. Problem solved. She would just have to make sure she didn’t get rained on.

“There.” Adrien’s happy voice interrupted her train of thought. “All cleaned up. See? That wasn’t so bad was it?”

Ladybug giggled. “Thank you, Adrien, you really didn’t have to do any of this.”

“It’s no problem.” Adrien’s cheeks turned red as he looked away again. “Happy to help.”

“You’d make a good superhero.”

Adrien smirked, looking as though he was trying to suppress laughter. “Do you really think so?”

Ladybug nodded.

“Though, I really wouldn’t want to get in between you and Chat Noir.”

Ladybug nearly choked.

“M-me and…C-Chat Noir?” Ladybug managed to squeak out. “Pffft, I-I don’t know what you’re talking about? C-Chat Noir? W-we’re just partners, f-friends, and you’d be a great a-addition to the team, if y-you’re i-interested. I c-certainly won’t mind. I m-mean –”

Adrien laughed. “Calm down Ladybug, I was only teasing.”

“Oh…yeah…right…teasing,” Ladybug gasped out before letting out a fake, nervous giggle, her blue eyes wide as saucers, her head spinning.

“No other hero could ever hold a candle to you, Ladybug.” Adrien’s blush deepened which he tried to hide by looking down.

Ladybug gulped. “I – umm – thank you? Though Chat Noir does deserve a lot of the praise. He’s saved my life more times than I can count and I’d be nowhere within him.” And she meant it too. Weird and awkward feelings aside, she knew that no matter what, she’d be lost without him.

Adrien gazed back up at her and beamed. “Well, I’m sure he’s glad to have you too.”

Ladybug froze, biting her lip nervously. “I’m not so sure after today. I’m worried I upset him.”

“How so?” Adrien inquired, a confused look on his face.

“I just…I was acting weird today and I think I worried him.”

“Ah.”

“I didn’t mean to, and I wasn’t exactly lying to him when I said I didn’t sleep well.” Ladybug took a deep calming breath. “I’m just stressed and I felt awkward talking to him about it.”

“I see,” Adrien mused, “well, I’m sure he understands.”

“You think so?”

Adrien smirked. “Like I said, I’m sure he does.”

Ladybug clapped her hands together before gazing out of the window. The rain was beginning to stop, and the sun was now beginning to finally peak out from behind the dark, grey clouds. She knew she’d better make a move. The longer she spent out, the higher the chance her parents would realise that she’d vanished, and she didn’t want to worry them.

“Well, I better head off,” she announced.

Adrien suddenly looked miserable. “Aww, really?”

Ladybug shot him a reassuring smile, shocked at how sad Adrien actually sounded at the thought of her departure. She just reminded herself that it was likely because he was just a fan of hers. The thought saddened her, but she did her best to hide it.

“Unfortunately, yes. I’ve been out and about way too long and I don’t want people to worry about me.”

Mustering up all the courage that she could, she held her breath as she quickly hugged Adrien lightly around the shoulders. If she breathed in his scent again, or if she clung to him any tighter, she knew she would find it harder, almost impossible to leave.

Adrien froze at first before wrapping his arms around her in return. If only she could do this all the time, but right now she had to remind herself that it was merely a friendly gesture.

She quickly pulled back before she got carried away.

“Thank you again for helping me.” She beamed, masking her pain as best she could.

“No problem,” Adrien responded shyly.

Ladybug gave him one last smile before diving out of the still open window, feeling Adrien’s eyes boring into her retreating form until she swung around the corner and launched herself back onto the rooftops of Paris. She glanced back at the Agreste mansion, the corner of the building still slightly visible, though Adrien, both luckily and unluckily, no longer was.

Ladybug let out a deep sigh as she began running for home once again. The open air against her graze made it sting slightly, though thankfully, she was no longer as cold and wet as she was before.

She couldn’t believe that she had just spent so much intimate time with Adrien! He’d looked after her and made sure she was okay. She couldn’t get over how amazing and kind he could be. The thought of what Adrien had just done for her made her feel slightly better about the dream. It had just been a fluke. She was one hundred percent still madly in love with the kind and wonderful Adrien Agreste, and nothing was ever going to come between that.

With a bright smile on her face, Ladybug finally landed safely back on her own balcony.

“Spots off.”

Tikki once again flew into view, smiling down at her holder.

“Aww Marinette, that was so sweet.”

“I know!” Marinette squealed. “He was so lovely wasn’t he Tikki?! He made sure I was okay, helped me out and –” Marinette screamed out loud. “He hugged me! Tikki, he hugged me!”

Tikki giggled, “I know, I saw. I’m so happy for you Marinette, but please calm down and don’t get too ahead of yourself. You were Ladybug, not Marinette.”

“I know Tikki, but,” Marinette sighed out dreamily, “it was still so wonderful. You watch Tikki, we’ll be married before you know it.”

“ _Marinette!_ ”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry, no getting ahead of myself.” Marinette tried to take a deep breath to calm herself down, only to end up ecstatically giggling again.

Tikki rolled her eyes before flying down and hiding in Marinette’s pink purse as she climbed down back into her bedroom. As her feet touched the floor, Marinette couldn’t help but do a little giddy dance of happiness, leaping around her room, trying her best to contain her squeals of delight.

“Marinette? Honey, is that you?”

Sabine Cheng’s voice interrupted Marinette’s happy moment, snapping her daughter out of her dance as the trapdoor that led into her bedroom slowly opened. Sabine’s head popped up, and she smiled warmly at her daughter.

“There you are, I came to look for you in your room earlier, only you weren’t here,” Sabine explained, starting to look a little bit worried.

“Err, right, I was on my balcony, mom,” Marinette lied, praying that her mother had not gone up to check her balcony.

“Oh right,” Sabine replied before frowning slightly, “you’ve been up there all morning in your pyjamas?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry, I came in when it started raining.”

Sabine then gasped. “Oh Marinette! What happened to your face?!”

Marinette grimaced. “I kinda fell and grazed my face when I was rushing back in from the rain.”

“Oh Marinette, what are you like?” Sabine chuckled lightly, but her voice was still laced with concern. The young superhero relaxed as her mother bought her excuses.

“Please try to be more careful.” Her mother lightly scolded. “And you might want to get changed, you still look slightly damp and I don’t want you catching a cold.”

~~

“Kid, you’ve been standing, gawping out of the window for the past twenty minutes. She’s gone,” Plagg groaned out, watching his holder’s back as he remained staring out of the window.

“She’s so amazing,” he whispered in his typical love-struck voice.

Plagg rolled his cat-like green eyes. “Yeah yeah, we all get it Adrien. Now where’s my precious cheese?”

Adrien finally turned back around, snapping out of his daze to glare playfully at his kwami. “You know there’s more to life than cheese?”

“Blasphemy!” Plagg yelled. “Not to me there isn’t!”

Adrien rolled his eyes, heading towards the safe where he stored all of Plagg’s camembert. He had not had the chance to feed his kwami between the time he managed to sneak back into his room and the time Ladybug had suddenly, and unexpectantly, crashed into his window.

It certainly was the shock of his life, not that he was complaining. It had been amazing to be with her, even if it was just a short amount of time. It was nice to talk to her while he was outside his costume, and his heart did a flip when he remembered how she revealed she’d be lost without Chat Noir.

He picked a portion of cheese out, and before the young hero could even hand it over, his gluttonous kwami had zoomed over, snatching the stinky cheese out of Adrien’s hand and all but swallowed it whole.

“Ew, Plagg, that’s disgusting!” Adrien chastised.

Plagg merely rolled his eyes. “Not as disgusting as the lovey-dovey display I had to sit and watch earlier. YUCK!”

“Hey! We weren’t being lovey-dovey!”

“Kid, you look at Ladybug the way I look at camembert.”

“And I’ve told you, Ladybug is a million times better than cheese.” Adrien sighed dreamily as he collapsed onto his bed, staring at his ceiling.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Plagg grunted as he hovered above Adrien. “But seriously Adrien, it’s been nearly two years. Don’t you think if Ladybug was interested, she would have shown you by now? Maybe you should start paying attention to…ummm…girls in your class.”

Adrien groaned, “seriously Plagg, I really don’t understand why you keep trying to push me towards the girls in my class.”

Plagg made a weird noise before crossing his arms grumpily over his little chest. “I don’t know, you just might start to _notice things_.”

Adrien turned onto his side, his thoughts drowning in the memory of Ladybug’s smile and embrace. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Plagg.”

The only girl he could ever bring himself to pay attention to was his lady.

Plagg sighed. “Ah kid, you really are hopeless.”


	3. A Sickly Bug

Ladybug couldn’t contain the wide smile as she took in the view before her. All of Paris was laid out beneath her, the city lights shining, morphing into a blur as she squinted her eyes to try and see further out. She pressed her fingers against the metal fence of the second most top balcony of the Eiffel Tower, her breath caught in awe at just how beautiful Paris looked at night. She had the whole balcony to herself.

Or so she had thought…

Startled, Ladybug looked down as she felt a warm hand snake its way around hers, its thumb gently rubbing the top of her hand. Her eyes followed the arm connected to the hand all the way up to see Adrien smiling softly at her. His eyes were covered by the shadow of his golden blond locks, and Ladybug wished she could gaze into those endless, peaceful green fields.

Why did he keep hiding his eyes from her? It was unfortunate as they were so beautiful. Ladybug felt like she could gaze into them forever.

“A-Adrien?” Ladybug stuttered. “What are you doing here?”

He didn’t respond. All Ladybug could feel was his eyes burning holes into her. Although she couldn’t see his eyes, she could sense him staring intensely at her. It began to make her feel slightly uncomfortable.

“Is something the matter Adrien?” Ladybug asked slowly, panic beginning to become evident in her voice.

“Ssssh,” Adrien gently shushed her, his lips barely moving. “Everything is just wonderful.”

Ladybug gulped as he began leaning towards her, hesitantly, slightly fearful, and Ladybug felt her cheeks beginning to heat up. Her heart suddenly began to try and pound its way out of her chest, and all she could do was remain frozen as Adrien continued to slowly lean towards her.

After what felt like an eternity, Adrien’s lips finally gently pressed against hers in a ghostly kiss that felt unsure. Despite their skin barely touching, Ladybug instantly found herself wanting more. It felt like he was teasing her, and Ladybug began trembling as his hands gently rubbed up her arms before slowly curling around the middle of her back.

The world around her seemed to freeze, the traffic and people beneath came to a sudden halt, the gentle night time breeze stopped, and suddenly it was just her and Adrien. He began leaning in slowly again, and this time Ladybug closed her eyes, waiting to enjoy this blissful, romantic moment with the love of her life.

This was all Ladybug had ever dreamed about. Just her and Adrien, together.

Her happiness was short lived, however, as once again that devious nagging thought charged its way to the front of her brain, pounding against the barriers for attention.

_He’s kissing Ladybug. He’s not kissing Marinette._

Through her closed eyelids, Ladybug felt tears beginning to form as the pain of this information coursed through her body and infected her heart, causing her vital organ to clench painfully.

But so what?! For once, Ladybug wanted to be selfish. She served her city, saving millions of innocent lives every time she defeated one of Hawkmoth’s akumas. Was she not at least slightly entitled to enjoy this moment, despite the fact she was currently Ladybug and not Marinette? Adrien’s affections were something she always craved, with or without the mask on, therefore did she not have the right to indulge just this once?

Her inner turmoil was cut short by Adrien’s lips finally meeting her own, this time more firm, confident and loving. All Ladybug could do was melt and savour the moment. The kiss was so sweet and loving, and Ladybug finally felt the tears that had building up finally spill over, letting them gently cascade down her pale cheeks, but she didn’t care. All that consumed her thoughts now was Adrien, and how perfect his lips felt against hers; it was if they were made for each other.

Ladybug finally moved her arms and pressed them against Adrien’s chest, and she sensed his arms move up too. His leather covered hands gently stroked the tears away from her cheeks.

_Leather?_

The shock cut through Ladybug like a sharp knife, and her heart faltered. Had his hands not been bear?

She abruptly pulled away from the kiss, her eyes wide and full of panic. Her whole body became rigid as she took in the sight before her. Where Adrien had just been stood before her, now stood Chat Noir, his green cat-like eyes slightly hooded as he smiled lovingly down at her before he took in her frightened expression. His expression then morphed into one of worry.

Ladybug tried to flee, but his grip on her was tight.

_She had been kissing Chat Noir?!_ Her mind could not process a single coherent thought other than that one. _She had been kissing Chat Noir?!_ Her partner, her best friend?! This wasn’t right. It was weird, and Ladybug just had to get away, but Chat Noir’s grip remained firm, and Ladybug was unable to bolt like she wanted to do. She knew Chat Noir was strong, but not _that_ strong.

“What’s the matter, my lady?” Chat asked, his voice gentle and warm. “It’s just me.”

Any coherent words that Ladybug could manage to splutter out became stuck in her throat, so all she could do was stare up at her partner, her eyes still wide and fearful. Without her brain telling them to do so, her hands began stroking his chest slightly, moving up to his shoulders. Then, to her own shock and horror, she pulled Chat Noir’s face down to meet hers, and she crashed her lips clumsily against his.

Chat instantly responded, tightening his grip even more around her waist and pulling her impossibly close, their bodies tightly pressed up against each other. Unlike her kiss with Adrien, this one was passionate, hungry, yet still loving. She wrapped her fingers around his messy, thick golden hair, and all the while her brain was screaming at her.

_What was she doing?! This was Chat Noir, so why was she kissing him like this?!_

But her body refused to listen and just kept on kissing him as if her life depended on it. Like he was the only water source in the middle of a dry, hot desert.

_What was happening to her?!_

Marinette once again shot up into a sitting position in the middle of her bed. Her breathing coming out in rough gasps as if she had been holding her breath for a long time. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, her pigtailed black hair in a scruffy mess as large droplets of cold sweat dripped down her body.

She was hot, incredibly hot, and her throat was dry and scratchy. Her head was pounding almost as fast as her heart, causing Marinette to groan in pain.

“Marinette!” Tikki cried out as she woke up and looked at the ghostly pale girl before her. “Are you alright?”

Marinette clutched her cramping stomach, clenching her teeth together and shaking her head. Tikki flew over as fast as she could and placed her tiny little arm against her charge’s skin.

“Mari, you’re burning up!”

But Marinette could not bring herself to listen as she thought about the dream she had just had.

“Not again,” Marinette whispered, but it was still loud enough for her kwami to hear.

Tikki gasped. “Oh no, I hope you’re not delirious.”

Marinette hoped that was a good enough explanation for her dream. She kept chanting to herself in her head that it was only a fever dream and that she had nothing to worry about. She had no interest in kissing Chat Noir, and her brain was probably just getting confused because she spent so much time around him.

Yeah, that had to be it. She was in love with Adrien.

Marinette whimpered as her head continued to pound. “Oh Tikki, I feel awful.”

“It’s probably from when you got caught in the rain yesterday.” Tikki cuddled up to Marinette’s burning skin, trying her best to comfort the sickly girl.

With a groan, Marinette forced what little energy she had in order to reach for her phone to check the time. The time her phone presented her with gave Marinette even more caused to groan: five o’clock in the morning. She only had an hour until her alarm went off and she had to be up for school.

She knew she was in no fit state to go to school today, but she couldn’t afford to miss it and fall behind. She had a hard enough time keeping up with her work as it was with all the responsibilities she had to juggle. It would be even harder if she fell a whole day behind.

Hopefully, she could fall back asleep and get that last precious hour of rest before she had to face the day. With that thought, Marinette slowly laid herself back down and stared into the darkness of her room, pressing her fingers against her still tingling lips, her dream refusing to leave her thoughts alone just like yesterday.

The young hero sighed, turning around in her bed to face her pink wall that was decorated with a few pictures of Adrien; cut outs from magazines and a few photos which she managed to be in with him. She concentrated hard on his perfect model face in order to try and banish any thoughts of Chat Noir, but yet, no matter how hard she tried, her feline companion kept sneaking in there.

The memory of his lips against hers refused to leave her alone. Would that be what kissing him felt like?

_No! Focus on sleep, Marinette!_

She really needed to quit thinking about Chat Noir, otherwise she would go crazy.

Marinette huffed at herself as she reminded herself how silly she was being. She had done nothing wrong. She couldn’t control her dreams, it just seemed her subconscious was getting confused in her feverish state. Maybe her illness wasn’t caused by the rain after all, but she had in fact picked up a virus that began to take its toll on her the night before?

With a shiver, Marinette pulled her covers over her head, sniffling slightly, her nose becoming clogged as she remained lying down. Her head felt like it was made out of lead, and her body kept switching rapidly from hot to cold. In the middle of a hot flush, Marinette kicked her covers off in frustration, tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable, her dream still refusing to leave her alone.

Before Marinette knew it, her alarm began beeping loudly, causing her to huff, having got no sleep after her dream. She swiped her phone screen, turning the alarm off before laying back down and staring at the ceiling for a few minutes.

“I really don’t think getting up is a good idea, Marinette,” Tikki advised, trying to suppress a yawn.

Marinette sighed. “I have to Tikki; I can’t afford to miss a day of school and risk falling behind.”

As slowly as possible, so as to keep her head from pounding too much, Marinette slowly sat up, her stomach churning at the movement, and her muscles and joints began to ache. Finally, Marinette managed to sit up properly, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as best she could, all the while trying to ignore her pounding headache, queasy stomach, and achy muscles.

“Besides,” Marinette continued, “I’ll probably start feeling better once I’m out and about and distracted.”

Tikki sighed, but decided not to argue, knowing how stubborn Marinette could be sometimes.

Marinette climbed down from her bed and quickly changed out of her pyjamas, sporting her usual pink three quarters, white t-shirt with her own unique design, and black jacket, with pink pumps.

She headed into the bathroom afterwards and groaned as she caught site of herself in the mirror. She looked like a wreck. Her skin was paler than usual to a point where she looked almost grey, and she had dark circles under her eyes, and not to mention the lovely graze she now sported on the side of her temple. Marinette, had almost completely forgotten about that, thankful now she had managed to look at her reflection. She needed to cover that thing up.

After brushing her teeth and covering her graze up, Marinette made her way downstairs, ready to face her parents, knowing the intense concern she was going to get, and that they, like Tikki, would try and convince her to stay home.

“Oh my!” Sabine gasped. “Sweetheart, you do not look well at all.”

“I’m fine, mom.” Marinette did her best to reassure her. “I’m sure I’ll get better throughout the day.”

Sabine placed her hands on her hips. “I sincerely hope you aren’t thinking of going to school today?”

Marinette sighed. “I need to go mom, I don’t want to fall behind.”

“Nonsense, Alya can just drop the work off for you.”

“But if I’m not there, then I won’t know how to do the work, and I don’t want to inconvenience Alya.”

Sabine said nothing as she frowned in concern at her sickly daughter.

“How about if I get any worse, I promise I’ll come home and rest?” Marinette offered hopefully. She was grateful her parents were so concerned, and she would love nothing more than to stay home and rest and eat some of her mother’s delicious soup, but falling behind in her work was one thing that incredibly paranoid Marinette. She had enough on her plate without having to deal with that.

Sabine thought for a moment before sighing in defeat. “Alright,” she answered slowly, “but please try and eat a little something before you leave to keep your energy up.”

Sabine pushed a plate of croissants towards her.

“Thanks mom.” Marinette collapsed onto her stool and slowly picked at a croissant, slowly ripping small parts off and placing them in her mouth, chewing carefully, and waiting to see how her stomach felt before taking another bite.

After finishing, Marinette knew that she couldn’t stomach any more, and Sabine reluctantly let her daughter head out. Marinette bid a quick good morning to her father as she past him in the bakery before rushing out the door as best as her achy muscles would let her. Her slow eating had made her run late, so now Marinette was in a huge rush to make it before the bell rang.

In her typical clumsy fashion, it wasn’t long before Marinette collided with something due to her eyes being so heavily focused on the door of her school, where students were already starting to make their way inside. The force of the collision knocked Marinette backwards, and she landed hard against the concrete beneath her.

_Great, another injury to add to the collection,_ Marinette thought to herself bitterly.

She rubbed her bruised skin before glancing up to see what she had collided with. Marinette gasped when she realised it was a person. A tall man with pale, aging skin with wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black, and his hair was black and pulled back into a slick pony tail that fell in the centre of his should blades. He was dressed in black too: a black leather jacket that fell to his knees, black pants, black leather derby shoes and a black bowler hat. The man looked down at her in surprise.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Marinette spluttered out. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, my mistake.”

The man smiled kindly down at her. “It’s no problem Madame, as long as you’re alright.” He reached out his hand to her which Marinette graciously took, letting him help her to her feet easily.

“Thank you, sir,” Marinette thanked awkwardly.

“It’s no trouble Madame…?” He dragged the final word out, hinting he was after a name.

“Oh, it’s Dupain-Cheng.” Marinette did her best to smile politely, her eyes darting back to the school’s main entrance where all of the students had now long gone inside.

“I take it you’re related somehow to the bakers down the street?” He asked, his eyes lighting up at the mention of her surname.

“Umm, yeah, the owners are my parents.”

“Really?” The man’s eyes flashed. “I may have to drop in there, won’t I?”

“Right,” Marinette replied awkwardly.

Honestly, this man was starting to creep her out slightly now.

“Well, sorry again for running into you, but I’m really late for school. I’m sure I’ll see you in the bakery sometime.” Marinette began to take off again, not waiting for his response.

The man watched her as she ran for the school across the road, as a large grin began to form on his face.

“I’m sure you will,” he whispered before pulling his phone out from the inner pocket of his jacket. He quickly selected a contact and placed the phone to his ear, waiting.

“Hello?” A quiet voice asked from the other end.

“It’s me, Madame. I’ve definitely found her.”

Marinette was out of breath by the time she reached the school doors. She knew she had already missed roll call, so she headed straight to her first class. Running was certainly not making her feel any better as her muscles begged her to stop, and her head began pounding even more if that was even possible. The feeling of queasiness increased, and Marinette clutched her stomach, silently begging her body not to vomit in the middle of school. That would just add more embarrassment to her already rapidly growing list this week – and it was only Monday!

 “I’m here!” Marinette yelled as she burst into science class, tripping on the threshold of the doorway as she desperately tried to run inside. She landed on her hands and knees before awkwardly looking up at the teacher and the rest of the class. Most of the class burst out laughing, and she could see Alya facepalming out of the corner of her eye.

“Nice of you to finally join us miss Dupain-Cheng,” Ms Mendeleieve snapped whilst still writing instructions on the board. “Now pick yourself up and sit down!”

Marinette sighed, her face turning bright red as she picked her belongings off the floor, refusing to make eye contact with anyone in the class. She sat down as quietly as possible before placing her head in her hands, trying to the slow the spinning, dizzying sensation.

“Girl, what’s the matter?” Alya whispered to her in concern.

“Nothing,” Marinette muttered, still refusing to look up, “just woke up not feeling too great.”

Alya placed a hand on her friend’s back, rubbing soothing circles on it as Marinette tried her best not to cry at just how awful this day was going already. First, she had another weird, vivid dream, then she woke up feeling like death, crashed into some random stranger in the street, was late for class, and on top of that, she had embarrassed herself into front of the whole class. Could this day possibly get any worse?

Unfortunately, Alya’s soothing hand was doing little to help, only serving to remind Marinette of how much of a mess she was this morning.

“Okay class, now today we will be experimenting with indigestion tablets to see how they work in the stomach,” Ms Mendeleieve announced, turning back towards the class.

Marinette groaned at the mention of the word stomach, refusing to pay attention to the teacher’s instructions, knowing that if she did, she would likely throw up.

“It’s okay,” Alya tried to reassure her, “I can do most of the work if you want.”

Marinette nodded gratefully, finally emerging from her hiding spot in her hands as Alya began pouring the hydrochloric acid into a beaker. Marinette’s eyes began to absentmindedly wonder around the room before she accidentally made eye contact with Chloé, who smirked at Marinette.

_Oh great._

“Hey Marinette, the graveyard called.” Chloé sniggered. “They said they were missing a corpse.”

Sabrina giggled next to her, and Marinette rolled her eyes.

“Don’t listen to her,” Alya hissed, glaring daggers at the blonde girl sat across from them.

“Lay off Chlo,” Adrien chimed in much to Marinette’s shock. “Marinette can’t help it if she’s ill.”

Chloé scoffed. “Well, she should’ve stayed home so she wouldn’t spread any of her disgusting germs to us. Oooh, look Sabrina!” Chloé smirked at Marinette as she picked up the beaker on the table in front of her. “Just look at how the stomach is _bubbling_ as the pill dissolves.”

Marinette gagged and the rest of the class watched in horror as Marinette turned green.

“I gotta go!” Marinette cried out, placing a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with panic.

She darted out of her seat as fast as possible, and was out of the classroom in a flash. She vaguely heard Alya apologising to Ms Mendeleieve, explaining that she was ill, before hearing her best friend dart out after her. But Marinette didn’t have time to turn around and thank her friend. She dashed into the nearest girls’ bathroom, which was luckily empty, and vomited up the little contents of her stomach into the first toilet she could reach.

Once she finally finished gagging, Marinette flushed the toilet before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and placing the lid down, sitting on it and placing her head in her hands to hopefully slow the spinning down. Through the ringing in her ears, Marinette just about heard Alya gently knocking on the door.

“Mari?” Alya asked gently. “Are you okay?”

Marinette didn’t reply, worried that any more movement would cause her to throw up again. She faintly heard Alya moving into the cubical next to her, and Marinette looked up when the light above her was suddenly blocked out. Alya had climbed on top of the toilet and was now gazing over at her.

“Awww, Mari.” Alya gasped. “You look awful.”

“Gee thanks.” Marinette sniffed.

Alya rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean, girl, now can you let me in?”

Marinette sniffed again, nodded her head, and unlocked her cubical door so Alya could squeeze in. Alya locked the door behind her to give Marinette some privacy before she bent down to give her best friend a gentle hug.

“I don’t want you catching it,” Marinette protested, however, she still hugged her friend back, craving the much needed comfort.

“Don’t sweat it, girl.” Alya pulled back but kept her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “Do you want me to walk you home?”

Marinette shook her head. “I’m not going home.”

“Say what?” Alya demanded. “You can’t stay here, you’re a wreck. You need rest.”

“I can’t afford to fall behind in my work.”

Alya frowned, but before she could respond, the ground began to shake ever so slightly.

No!

_No no no no no!_

_This could not be happening?! Not now!_

But sure enough, the ground kept continuing to shake, and soon, screams could be heard in the distance. The evidence was now undeniable. Another akuma was attacking the city for the second day in a row. Marinette wasn’t sure how much more bad luck she could take. It was all becoming too much.

“Another villain attack!” Alya yelled excitedly, before glancing worryingly down at Marinette.

Marinette gave her a small smile. “It’s okay, go get your big scoop.”

She wasn’t necessarily happy about her friend running into danger to record the battle that was about to come, but she needed to be on her own in order to transform into Ladybug before the akuma caused too much damage.

“You sure? Will you be okay?” Alya asked.

“I’ll be fine, you go ahead.”

Alya gave her friend a quick hug before darting off, phone in hand and ready to record for the Ladyblog. Marinette rubbed her aching forehead as Tikki flew out from her bag with a surprisingly stern look on her face.

“No, Marinette.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not transforming in this state, it’s far too dangerous.”

“I can’t leave Chat Noir out there alone,” Marinette explained, shocked that Tikki was willing to just let an akuma run wild all because Marinette was feeling slightly ill.

Tikki had started shaking her head before Marinette had even finished speaking. “No, Marinette, if you transform while in this state you run the risk of –”

But Marinette didn’t have time for this. She had to stop the akuma. Paris was counting on her, and she was not going to let the innocent people who counted on her down. Without listening to a single word Tikki was saying, Marinette stood up.

“Tikki, spots on!”

“Wait, Marinette! NOOO!” Tikki cried out as she was drawn into Marinette’s earrings.

Within seconds, Marinette became Ladybug, and she quickly left the school. She had hoped her transformation would make her feel a little better, but if she was being honest, she was starting to feel worse.

Ladybug couldn’t bring herself to let it matter though. She had a job to do, ill or not. Her eyes scanned around, finally resting on a group of people running down the street screaming. However, before Ladybug could take off, she clutched her stomach in pain as her vision began to blur around the edges, dizziness consuming her.

“Everything alright, my lady?” A familiar voice chuckled behind her.

Ladybug turned around, and Chat Noir gasped.

“Ladybug, what’s wrong?”

Ladybug’s head snapped back into the direction of the screaming.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” she answered a little too quickly, “let’s just find the akuma.”

Chat Noir frowned at her, watching as she took off ahead of him. Ladybug could feel him keeping a close eye on her as they jumped from building to building, following the screams, and running in the opposite direction of the fleeing civilians.

Ladybug’s headache grew worse, and a layer of sweat began to develop on her skin. Breathing became a struggle, and she began to feel herself stumbling slightly.

“Ladybug?” Chat Noir asked slowly, his tone incredibly worried.

Ladybug ignored him, ready to jump and grab onto the ledge of the next building ahead of them. As she jumped and reached her arm out, her vision blurred over completely, like her eyes had steamed up. They then went from blurry to double vision, and Ladybug felt herself swipe at the air as she missed the ledge completely. She barely registered Chat Noir cry out behind her as her ears once again began ringing.

After falling through the air, Ladybug’s back collided with something metal beneath her, and all she could do was gaze up at the sky before her vision rapidly blackened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! What has happened to Ladybug? What's Chat Noir going to do? Thank you so much for your comments, bookmarks and for leaving kudos. It really inspires me to keep going, and I really appreciate any and all feedback.


	4. A Whole New Side

“LADYBUG!” That was all Chat Noir could cry out in horror as he watched his lady fall through the air.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Ladybug reached for the ledge of the building across the street from where she was. He had not been too far behind her, his eyes glued to her every movement; he knew something was definitely wrong with her. Frustratingly, all he could do was remain frozen as he watched Ladybug swipe at the air, her whole body seeming to go limp mid-leap, her face confused and frightened.

The look on her face would undoubtedly haunt Chat Noir for the rest of his days. He did nothing to help her! Just watched, frozen and pathetic, as his lady plummeted down to the ground, her back coming to a sudden and painful rest on the parked car below her.

Heart lurching in his chest, Chat Noir let out an unintelligent scream as he watched the love of his life’s eyes flutter closed, her face completely relaxing.

“Ladybug!” Chat Noir heard another familiar voice yell, but he could not tear his eyes away from his lady.

Shaking his head and fighting back tears, he forced himself out of his frozen state of shock before using his staff to quickly jump down from the building and onto the street below. A sob got caught in his throat as his eyes once again landed on Ladybug, realising that she still hadn’t moved. This time a figure was now leaning over her, yelling at her, but Chat Noir barely registered what this person was saying. He felt like he was underwater, sound muffled as it reached his ears, drowned out by the sound of the intense thudding of his heart in his chest.

Everything around him began to speed up to a normal pace again, the underwater sensation began to vanish as his superhero instincts began to kick in again. He couldn’t afford to break down nor let his fear and panic consume him right now. Ladybug would kill him for doing so. He had to snap out of it and deal with the situation. Paris needed him. Ladybug needed him.

He would not let them down.

With new-found resolve, Chat Noir ran towards Ladybug’s limp form, finally recognising the figure stood over his partner: Alya. Phone clutched in hand, Alya was screaming at her idol to wake up, to give her a sign that she was conscious, to squeeze her hand in reply.

Alya whipped her head around, turning to Chat Noir with tears in her eyes.

“What happened?!” She choked out, panic in her voice.

“I don’t know,” Chat Noir whispered in horror, delicately placing his fingers on Ladybug’s neck, afraid of what he might not feel in doing so, confirming his very worst nightmare.

Chat Noir smiled shakily and let out a loud sigh of relief as he felt the unmistakable sensation of Ladybug’s rapidly beating pulse.

She was alive!

Thank heavens!

“She’s alive.” Chat Noir’s voice shook with relief, giving Ladybug’s cheek a quick, tender stroke with his thumb.

“But what’s wrong with her? What do we do?” Alya gasped out.

Chat Noir frowned at the sickly pale face of his partner. A layer of sweat had developed on her skin, and her breathing was shallow while the rest of her body was deathly still. What had gotten into his lady? First, she had been acting weird yesterday and now this? Was she sick? Had something happened to her that he wasn’t aware of?

Lately, Ladybug was on the verge of giving Chat Noir a heart attack with her strange behaviour. This incident certainly nearly gave him one. He loved her with every fibre of his being, but he’d be damned if he didn’t admit that she would likely put him in an early grave.

A sudden roar snapped Chat Noir out of his musings, and he and Alya looked up in terror as a giant man with ripped clothes and wild hair suddenly stood over them.

“Who’s small now?!” he growled out, his eyes zeroing in on Chat Noir and Ladybug, a purple butterfly appearing in front of his eyes before he let out another roar.

Chat Noir looked frantically down at Ladybug, who was still showing no signs of regaining consciousness. The giant slammed his fist against the building next to them causing some rubble to fall down on top of them. Chat Noir dove on top of Ladybug shielding her with his body. He raised his staff up with one hand and began spinning it rapidly protecting him, Ladybug and Alya from the falling debris.

“I’ve got to get Ladybug out of here!” Chat Noir yelled over the crashing of falling bricks. “I can’t stop the akuma and protect Ladybug at the same time.”

Chat Noir coughed violently as a cloud of dust settled on top of them before he looked up as the dirt cloud began to clear, panicking as he saw Alya was nowhere in sight.

“Alya!” Chat called out.

“Hey shorty!” Chat heard her shout. “Bet you can’t catch me!”

Chat Noir’s green eyes finally settled on Alya, who had somehow managed to run to the other side of the street without him realising. She was gazing up at the giant with a grin on her face and was waving her arms around rapidly to get his attention. Chat Noir’s shock turned to horror as he watched Alya bend down, pick a brick up off the ground, and throw it towards the akumatized victim.

 _That_ definitely got his attention.

“Come and get me shorty!”

_What on earth was Alya thinking?! She was going to get herself killed!_

The giant growled, his movements slow and clumsy as he turned around towards Alya. Alya winked at Chat Noir, before desperately gesturing for him to get Ladybug out of there. She then took off running as Chat Noir watched her with his eyes wide in panic and his mouth agape. He needed to get Ladybug out of here, but he couldn’t just let Alya get herself hurt like that. She was a smart, brave girl but she was still just a civilian.

Chat Noir glanced back down at Ladybug with a new plan in mind. He needed to get her out of here quickly and then stop the akuma on his own. It would be difficult, but Ladybug wouldn’t just want him to stand here conflicted.

Gently placing his hands under her body, Chat Noir began to slowly lift her up, cradling her against his chest. Her head fell against his shoulder and her arms limply hung down. The black attired hero froze as his lady let out a small cough before moaning slightly before then going back to being silent and limp. He really wasn’t sure if moving her was the best idea; he had no idea if she had injured her back or head in the fall. He just knew he couldn’t leave her lying there.

Being as careful as possible, Chat Noir hopped from one building to another before stopping once he realised he didn’t exactly know where he was going. He had just fled, desperate to get his precious lady out of harm’s way. He could no longer hear the roars of the giant, so he came to stop, believing he was a safe enough distance away from the action.

Chat looked down at Ladybug’s vulnerable looking face and his heart broke. He had no idea what to do. Did he take her to the hospital? What if she de-transformed in front of the doctors and nurses, revealing her identity to the world? What would she think of him for putting her in such a position? But he didn’t feel like he had a choice. Ladybug seemed really sick and most likely injured. He couldn’t just ignore that fact.

Chat Noir needed advice. Divine advice.

“Claws in,” Chat Noir whispered.

He knew he was taking a risk. Ladybug could wake up at any moment and see Adrien standing before her with Plagg and realise he was Chat Noir. At that moment though, Adrien couldn’t bring himself to care about his secret. He needed to figure out how he was going to save Ladybug.

Plagg came spiralling out his ring before finally coming to a standstill and hovering over Ladybug’s unconscious form.

“Man, she hit that car hard!” Plagg let out a light chuckle before becoming serious, something Adrien rarely saw Plagg do.

Plagg gazed down at Ladybug with a frown on his face. “Stupid girl! Tikki better be okay.”

“What are you talking about, Plagg?” Adrien asked desperately, his grip tightening on Ladybug, not liking Plagg’s hostility towards her.

“She obviously transformed when she was sick. A very stupid thing to do,” Plagg grumbled out, his eyes narrowing at the unconscious girl in Adrien’s arms. “When you transform, us kwamis become almost like a part of you, that’s how we’re able to give you your powers. We see everything you see, feel everything you feel. That also means if you’re injured and get sick, there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s an aspect of your physical form that merges with us, much like how your ankle was still injured that one time you transformed. Ladybug must have transformed while she was sick and her kwami absorbed the sickness, hindering her powers and abilities. She’ll be fine though…I think…”

Adrien stood there in shock at this new information. “But what do we do, do we take her to the hospital?”

Plagg shook his head. “No, but I know a place we can take her where she’ll be safe until she recovers. It’s not far from here. Transform so we can get down from here and then drop the transformation again, so I can show you the way.”

Adrien nodded obediently. “Plagg, claws out.”

Soon enough, Adrien was back as Chat Noir. He shot a worried glance down at Ladybug, wondering why his lady thought it would be a good idea to transform while ill. He shook his head, already knowing the answer: her darn stubbornness.

With a determined look on his face, Chat Noir leapt down from the building and into a quiet ally way. Doing as Plagg told him, he released his transformation as soon as he landed, still keeping a firm grip on Ladybug, carrying her bridal style through the back streets of Paris, following Plagg without a word. They soon reached just an ordinary looking building, though Adrien had no idea what he expected in the first place. He looked to Plagg for guidance, and his little black cat kwami nodded at him, encouraging him forwards.

Shifting Ladybug’s weight slightly, Adrien cautiously placed his hand on the door handle and pushed it down. The door clicked, and he slowly creaked the old wooden door open. The inside was dark, although from what Adrien could see, the owner of this place certainly liked Chinese style décor. Plagg flew inside without so much as a second thought, but Adrien refused to let his guard down, despite how much he trusted Plagg’s judgement. He certainly wasn’t willing to gamble with Ladybug’s safety.

“Hurry up!” Plagg hissed causing Adrien to frown.

He shut the door behind him and followed Plagg into the next room. Adrien jumped at the sight of an elderly man, wearing a red Hawaiian style shirt, meditating in the centre of the room. The man didn’t move an inch until Plagg cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry master, I know you said I should never bring him here, but this is an emergency,” Plagg explained, and Adrien shot his kwami a worried glance, not liking this situation one bit.

The old man smiled before slowly opening his eyes.

“There’s no need to be afraid Chat Noir,” he gently reassured.

Adrien gasped. “H-how? W-what…?”

“It’s okay,” the old man said before slowly struggling to stand up, wobbling slightly before he stood up straight. “Your secret is more than safe with me. My name is Master Fu. Now why don’t you bring Ladybug over here so I can examine her.”

Adrien frowned, taking a step back, tightening his grip on Ladybug.

Master Fu smiled. “It’s alright Chat Noir, she’s more than safe with me. You did the right thing bringing her here. She knows who I am, she trusts me, and I hope you can too.”

“Ladybug knows you!” Adrien gasped, glancing down at his partner.

What else was she hiding from him? That thought pained him, but he pushed it aside for now; her safety and wellbeing was more important.

“Master Fu is the last remaining guardian of the miraculous,” Plagg explained, “he’s also a healer who can help Ladybug. He’s the best doctor for her right now.”

Adrien’s brain couldn’t handle all of this new information. His head was spinning, and his heart was pounding. All this time he thought he knew Plagg. Knew Ladybug. Why did his lady not see fit to tell him about the guardian of the miraculous? Surely that was important information? He thought they were partners, equals, best friends.

Adrien was beginning to feel like an idiot. However, he quickly shook his head, once again banishing those thoughts. The longer it took him to get Ladybug help, he risked putting Paris and innocent people in danger. The akuma was still at large after all.

Adrien sighed, stepping forwards into the room before coming to a stop in front of Master Fu. He gazed longingly down at Ladybug, his face morphing into sorrow as he realised Ladybug was now far paler than before.

Master Fu motioned for Adrien to place Ladybug down on a cushioned mat on the wooden floor. He did as he was told, gently laying Ladybug down as Master Fu placed a small pillow under her head. Ladybug groaned, but otherwise did not move nor stir. Adrien gently stoked her cheek, staring down at her sadly, wiping away a few beads of sweat on her cheek.

“If you know who I am, does that mean you know who Ladybug is?” Adrien couldn’t help but inquire.

Master Fu was silent for a moment.

“Yes.”

Adrien let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding. “What’s she like?”

Master Fu smiled down at the boy. “A truly unique and amazing young lady.”

Adrien smiled despite everything, his green eyes remaining glued to Ladybug’s face.

Master Fu laughed. “Don’t worry, you’re not the first Chat Noir to fall under the spell of Ladybug.”

“What?” Adrien’s head snapped up to look at Master Fu who merely chuckled in response.

“Ladybug is quite safe here. She’ll be okay, but I have some healing to do. If I remember correctly, there’s still an akuma loose in the city?”

“Alya!” Adrien exclaimed.

He hoped that she was alright.

Adrien then turned to look back down at Ladybug.

“Take care of her,” Adrien commanded, his voice possessing a threatening undertone.

Master Fu nodded, and Adrien gently leaned down, placing a delicate kiss on Ladybug’s cheek before getting up and walking out of the building with Plagg in tow and a new-found determination.

~~

_“Marinette.”_

Tikki’s voice echoed in Ladybug’s head. The young hero continued to wonder around in the black emptiness that was laid out before her in all directions. It was cold, extremely cold, and Ladybug shivered, her skin tight red suit unable to protect her. Where was Tikki? And how could she be transformed without her?

Ladybug panicked as her eyes darted around, looking this way and that in the hopes of locating her dear kwami. Her kwami that she had so recklessly and stubbornly put in danger. Why hadn’t she listened to Tikki? Why did she have to transform? Ladybug more than trusted Chat Noir to look after things, so what on earth was she thinking?

Now Tikki was lost somewhere. Lost, alone, and in pain. And it was all her fault.

_“Marinette!”_

“Tikki!” Ladybug called out in return. “I’m here!”

_“Marinette!”_

“Where are you?!” Ladybug cried out with tears in her eyes.

No response.

Without a second thought, Ladybug took off running. She didn’t look nor care in which direction, all that she knew was that she had to find and protect her kwami. Ladybug ran and ran and ran, but she didn’t seem to get anywhere. All she saw before her was pure pitch blackness. Ladybug screamed out in frustration, tugging at her hair in panic, her breathing laboured. Where was she? Where was Tikki? What was going on? Those questions spun around Ladybug’s head at a million miles per hour.

 _“Ladybug!”_ called another voice.

Ladybug froze in panic before frowning.

That voice.

She knew that voice too.

_“Ladybug!”_

Ladybug took off running again, following the sound of the deep, familiar and comforting voice that was calling to her. It was Adrien. That was Adrien calling to her. She had to find him too. She had to know that he was safe in this awful place. Maybe Tikki was with him?

Ladybug soon skidded to a stop as, not Adrien, but Chat Noir stood before her.

He smiled at her, tilting his head to one side. “You came to me.”

Ladybug nodded, not knowing what to say. She could’ve sworn that she had recognised his voice as Adrien’s. Ladybug didn’t make any move to walk closer to him, still cautious, afraid of what was going on.

Chat Noir frowned.

“Why do you toy with me Ladybug?” Chat asked innocently.

“Huh?”

“I thought you loved me, my lady.”

“I do! I do love you!” Ladybug protested, finally taking those final steps towards him. She reached out to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her head against his chest, listening to the steady and strong beat of his heart. The sound comforted her, and Ladybug smiled as she breathed in his intoxicating scent. That scent. Where had she smelled that delicious scent before?

Chat Noir’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her tighter against him. He rested his head against the top of hers and sighed sadly.

“But do you love _me_ , Ladybug?”

Ladybug pulled back slightly in shock. “Of course I do!”

Once again, without her permission, her body reacted. Her hands moved up and gently grabbed hold of Chat Noir’s cheeks, pulling him down to her level before crashing her lips against his in an effort to prove just how much she loved him.

“GAH!” Ladybug gasped, jolting awake.

Her whole body felt weak, but she could not bring herself to think about that as she placed her head in her hands at having had _another_ weird Chat Noir dream. When were these dreams going to stop?

“Ladybug, you’re awake!”

Ladybug gasped again, looking back up to see Chat Noir sat on his knees next to her, his arms outstretched to her slightly, not knowing whether she’d appreciate a comforting hand being placed on her or not. Chat’s eyes were wide, and he was watching her fearfully, as if at any second, she would disintegrate in front of his very eyes.

Ladybug then became fully aware of her surroundings. She appeared to be in Master Fu’s place, though she did not know how she got there. The last thing she remembered was transforming into Ladybug in the girls’ bathroom of her school. She was laid down on a comfy mat, a pillow laying where her head had just been, and a thin blanket had been placed over, though it now hung by her waist after she jolted upright from her slumber.

“What happened?” Ladybug croaked out, her voice cracking painfully as she realised just how dry her throat was.

Chat Noir gently pushed her back down, while Ladybug, not having much energy to stubbornly fight back, reluctantly followed her partner’s silent order. Chat then grabbed something next to him and Ladybug felt her throat internally cry out desperately once she realised it was a large glass of water.

“Here,” Chat Noir offered gently, placing his hand behind Ladybug’s head to help her sit up slightly.

He placed the glass against Ladybug’s lips. She cautiously took a sip before she lost all control and started gulping it down. The cold water felt wonderful on her throat, and Ladybug could feel some of her energy returning. No longer did she feel sick, just slightly weak and drained.

Chat Noir’s eyes widened and he snatched the glass away from her lips in alarm.

“Whoa, take it easy there, LB.” Chat Noir chuckled.

Ladybug flushed in embarrassment before Chat’s face turned serious, almost angry.

“What were you thinking Ladybug?”

The young hero could tell that her partner was trying to remain calm, but his voice shook slightly, giving away his anger and betrayal.

“I-I didn’t want to leave you to fight on your own,” Ladybug lamely responded, panicking.

She had never seen Chat Noir angry before.

Chat Noir’s eye twitched before he took a deep calming breath. “You almost got yourself killed.”

“Yes, but I didn’t.” Ladybug pouted, beginning to feel like Chat was overreacting slightly.

Ladybug then suddenly gasped. “The akuma!”

She tried to sit up again, but Chat Noir forced her back down once again, glaring at her. Ladybug shrank back slightly, not used to seeing this side of her best friend. He was always joking around, never once had she seen him get angry, especially with her.

“Never mind that, I’m not finished,” Chat snapped.

Ladybug glared at him, ready to scold him for putting a petty argument before protecting Paris, but Chat beat her to the punch.  

“Why did you never tell me about Master Fu?” Chat demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at her.

“I…what?”

“Master Fu,” Chat Noir repeated slowly, “why did you never tell me about him?”

“I…I don’t know…” Ladybug replied, biting her lip guiltily. “I guess I always just considered it need to know only. How did you find out anyway?”

“My kwami,” he answered sharply before continuing, “and don’t you think that I needed to know? I thought we were supposed to be partners, Ladybug? I would have thought that something as important as a miraculous guardian was something that I needed to know.”

Ladybug was speechless.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Chat asked, hurt in his eyes. “The only reason I seem to have found out was because _you_ went and did something stupid and reckless, almost getting yourself killed and leaving me on my own. Do you think I could just continue on without you? Don’t you realise how much I lo –” Chat froze before growling to himself, closing his eyes and pinching the top of his nose.

Ladybug felt tears in her eyes as Chat scolded her. The worst thing was that he was right. She was stupid to do what she did, and she was stupid to keep Master Fu a secret from him. He did have a right to know, and she had been thoughtless and careless. She had hurt her best friend. That thought pained her more than anything.

Unsure of what to do, Ladybug reached out to him, but Chat gently brushed her hand away. That stung, and Ladybug forced back the whimper that threatened to escape her mouth at Chat Noir’s actions.

“I…I’m sorry…” Ladybug managed to croak out as she fought back tears.

“No…I am…I…I shouldn’t have shouted.” Chat Noir struggled for words as he refused to meet her eyes. “I guess I’m just…I need time to think. I’m glad you’re okay.”

He quickly got up and began hurrying out of the room before he paused, grabbing something off the table by the door and making his way back over to a frozen Ladybug. He placed the clear jar on the floor next to Ladybug, who had now sat up properly again, watching her partner with wide, fearful eyes, wishing with all her heart that she could make every better right this second.

Ladybug looked down at the jar and gasped at what was inside: a large, dark purple butterfly, fluttering around in a desperate attempt to escape.

“Here’s the akuma you didn’t trust me enough to catch on my own,” Chat Noir choked out without looking at her.

He bolted out of the room without giving Ladybug a chance to respond.

A small sob escaped Ladybug’s lips as she grabbed hold of the jar and held it in her lap. How could she have been so thoughtless? Hurting Chat Noir’s feelings had never been her intention, but there was no denying that this was the consequence of her actions. She knew he felt like she didn’t trust him. But that was never the case.

However, she knew that if she was in Chat’s shoes, she would have felt the exact same way. She too would have felt betrayed, and she definitely would have shouted at him a lot more than what Chat had. After everything, he still tried to keep calm and didn’t want to maliciously hurt her in return, even though it was no less than she deserved.

Her eyes were now opened to a new side of Chat Noir. She guessed it could be easy to forget that under all of those jokes, puns, and flirting, he was still a human being with feelings, and Ladybug had hurt them.

“He’s just upset.” A deep voice made her jump.

Ladybug calmed once she realised it was just Master Fu, before sniffing as tears began streaming down her face.

“It’s all my fault.”

“No.” Master Fu kneeled down next to her. “I’m just as to blame. I should have searched for him after meeting with you, but I was just too paranoid about Hawkmoth finding out there was a guardian in the city.”

“No,” Ladybug responded, “this is my mess.”

“Regardless,” Master Fu sighed out, “you may want to find him and sort this out as soon as possible. There can never be imbalance between Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

“I will.” Ladybug shakily stood up, feeling miles better than she did that morning.

There were two people on her list that she needed to apologise to. She just needed to remain transformed long enough to find Chat Noir, and then she could get home, de-transform, and apologise to Tikki for not listening to her and potentially putting them both in very serious mortal danger.

No matter what, she would make things right again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for kudos, comments and bookmarks! They're always much appreciated! Please feel free to keep them coming. Also, I apologise that this chapter is a day delayed. I've had a lot going on lately and I completely lost track of what day it was.


	5. Balcony of Sorrows

After her talk with Master Fu, Ladybug quickly purified the akuma and made her way outside. She was grateful that Master Fu had mentioned no more of what had happened, fearing that she would break down. It had been a long day, and although Ladybug wasn’t one hundred percent sure of the time, the position of the sun led Ladybug to guess it was some time in the afternoon. Chat Noir had barely left ten minutes before, so the young hero was hopeful that she would be able to catch up to him and talk to him. She was desperate to apologise and make things right. The betrayed look in Chat’s eyes was enough punishment to make Ladybug never do something like this again.

Swinging her yo-yo, Ladybug glided through the city, everything all calm now that Chat Noir had dealt with the akuma. She had to admit, the thought of having left Chat Noir to deal with it on her own made her uncomfortable, but it wasn’t through lack of trust like Chat had accused her of. She was scared of him getting hurt or into trouble, and she wouldn’t be there to help. She cared too much about Chat to be responsible for his demise, and all because she didn’t do her duty properly. Ladybug couldn’t help but be protective of him; she did deeply care for him after all.

The sun felt warm against her back as she carried on flying through the city, searching all of the places Chat was most likely to be. No luck. He had vanished. Most likely he returned to his civilian form. He had said he needed some time after all. Maybe Ladybug was wrong to go looking for him. Her presence might just upset him even more, and that thought sent a painful stab through Ladybug’s heart.

He had fled from her. He wanted to be away from _her._

Gulping back tears, Ladybug decided it was probably best to head home. School had most likely finished, and her parents and Alya would no doubt start wondering where she was, even more so seen as she was supposed to be ill. With a sigh, Ladybug headed home, stopping a few streets away from her parents’ bakery to transform back into Marinette in an ally.

Tikki looked as drained as Marinette felt as the young girl cradled her kwami in her hands.

“I’m so sorry Tikki,” Marinette whispered, once again fighting back tears, “let me just get inside and I can give you some cookies and then you can shout and scream at me all you want.”

Tikki rolled her eyes, but said nothing as Marinette gently placed her kwami into her little pink purse. Swinging her back-pack over her other shoulder, Marinette began walking towards her home, her blue eyes continued to scan the sky for any sign of Chat Noir.

Nothing.

Sighing, Marinette made her way inside where her parents were just finishing serving a customer.

“Oh, Marinette, sweetheart.” Her mother sighed with relief, running over to her daughter and pulling her into a tight, loving embrace. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, mom,” Marinette half lied.

Health wise, she did feel better, emotional wise though was another story.

“I would have thought you’d come home for lunch,” Sabine stated in confusion.

“Oh, I umm, I had lunch with Alya,” Marinette lied, “her mother made me some homemade chicken soup.”

Sabine smiled. “That was lovely of her.”

“Yeah.”

“Why don’t you head to bed Marinette?” Tom suggested. “You look exhausted, and we can bring your dinner up to your room if you want?”

Marinette smiled; the thought of her bed was very inviting. “Thanks papa, but I’m not really that hungry. I just want to sleep.”

“We understand.” Sabine gave her daughter a reassuring smile before kissing her on the cheek.

“Night mom, night dad.” Marinette smiled weakly before heading upstairs into their apartment. She then climbed the stairs up to her bedroom and gently closed the hatch behind her. She opened her purse and Tikki came flying out, a frown on her face.

Marinette couldn’t take it anymore. She burst into tears.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Marinette sobbed, collapsing to her knees on the floor and crying into her hands. “I know I should’ve listened to you, I put us both in serious danger, I’m so sorry Tikki.”

Tikki’s face relaxed and she sighed at the emotionally distraught girl in front of her. Marinette felt Tikki stroke her face before she looked up to see her kwami smiling gently and sadly at her. Another sob escaped the young girl as she wiped her eyes as best she could, but it was all in vain as the tears kept pouring from her eyes like two great waterfalls. It was all too much, and Marinette was struggling to keep it together. What she had done to Tikki, what she had done to Chat, what she had nearly done to Paris. Marinette had never been so stupid nor did she want to make such a stupid mistake again.

“Marinette,” Tikki crooned, trying her best to pull Marinette out from behind her hands, “what you did was very very very stupid, but I know that you’ve learnt your lesson.”

“Can you ever forgive me, Tikki?” Marinette whimpered, looking like a lost little girl.

“Of course I can, Marinette.” Tikki smiled before frowning again. “Though you might have to work harder in order to achieve Chat’s forgiveness.”

Marinette sniffed, her head now starting to pound from having cried so hard. Tikki was right. If she was Chat, she wouldn’t forgive her actions so quickly. Marinette fought back the urge to go out and find him again. Mentally slapping herself, she remembered that Chat likely didn’t want to be found right now. He wanted time to think so Marinette would oblige. As much as it pained her, she knew she had to stay away for now and let Chat come to her when he was ready. No doubt he would want answers eventually, and this time, Marinette would be more than willing to give them to him, along with thousands of apologies and promises that she would never do anything like that to him again.

“Marinette?”

Tikki’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.

“Mmm?”

“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Tikki said sheepishly.

This confused Marinette. “What is it?”

It took a while for Tikki for respond, and Marinette waited as patiently as she could, despite wanting to beg the answer out of her kwami, her curiosity and worry eating away at her.

“I saw your dream.”

It took a few seconds for Marinette to process what Tikki had just said. However as soon as it sunk in, Marinette flushed the deepest red possible. Squealing, Marinette covered her face with her hands once again, her breath hitching, and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she wished the ground could just swallow her up right that very second.

She couldn’t believe Tikki had seen that! She was so embarrassed and humiliated. No doubt Tikki would tease her or scold her, and Marinette couldn’t take much more. How had Tikki seen this? Marinette took a deep breath. Maybe Tikki hadn’t seen the whole thing.

“H-how much did you see?” Marinette squeaked.

Tikki looked away awkwardly. “All of it,” the small red kwami mumbled.

Marinette squealed again, balling her hands into fists against her face, blushing even more furiously. Her face had never felt so hot, and she had to desperately resist the urge to run out of the room. It would be pointless anyway as Tikki would highly likely not let this topic go.

Was there a reason her kwami had brought this up? Tikki didn’t seem to be teasing her so far so where exactly was she going with this?

“When you’re transformed, I see everything you see, and that means when you were passed out, I could see your dreams,” Tikki explained before her deep blue eyes returned to Marinette’s beet red face. “Is this why you’ve been acting so strange lately? You keep having dreams about Chat Noir?”

Marinette gulped and nodded, still refusing to leave her hiding place.

“Awww, Marinette,” Tikki gently cooed, “why didn’t you say something?”

Marinette pulled her fists down so that only her eyes were visible, finally looking back at her kwami. “Because it’s embarrassing.”

Tikki giggled. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, it’s perfectly normal. You are sixteen after all, and when a human girl reaches a certain age –”

“Whoa whoa whoa, okay, I’m gunna have to stop you right there!” Marinette exclaimed, placing her index finger over Tikki’s mouth.

Tikki knocked Marinette’s finger away from her face in frustration. “You can’t keep running, hiding and stubbornly ignoring things Marinette. Sooner or later, you have to face the music.”

Marinette growled to herself, saying nothing.

The little red kwami took that as a sign to continue. “And you being attracted to Chat Noir is perfectly normal.”

“WHAT?!” Marinette shrieked.

“Ssssh,” Tikki reminded her that she wasn’t alone in the apartment before continuing, “you and Chat Noir are two halves of the same whole, so it’s only natural that you would be attracted to him and maybe even have dreams like that about him; subconsciously reaching out to him. You’ll always be drawn to each other like magnets as the laws of nature and the universe command. Destruction and creation always together, hand in hand. Like it or not, the chosen Ladybug and Chat Noir are always soulmates. They have to be. It’s what helps maintain the balance of nature – yin and yang.”

“But I’m not in love with Chat Noir, I love Adrien!” Marinette glared out of her window at the darkening sky, refusing to meet Tikki’s gaze again, not liking the bombshell that was suddenly being dropped on her.

She wished Tikki had just kept her mouth shut, but obviously this was something the kwami felt like had to be talked about. Tikki didn’t reveal things very often, and only did so when she deemed it important or necessary or when the truth could no longer be feasibly hidden.

Tikki sighed. “It’s not necessarily like that Marinette. You’re jumping to conclusions before I’ve even had the chance to explain.”

Marinette huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, her face still a brilliant shade of red.

“Just because you’re soulmates, it doesn’t necessarily imply you’ll inevitably be in a romantic relationship with him, Marinette,” Tikki explained.

“What?”

“Soulmates doesn’t always mean you’re gonna fall deeply and romantically in love. Chosen Ladybugs and Chat Noirs always love each other, even if they become bitter enemies, and boy do things get imbalanced when that happens.” Tikki shuddered before shaking her head. “But I digress. Chosen Chat Noirs and Ladybugs can be lovers, get married and start families, but many also remain just close friends, marrying other people or stay single. The point is, Marinette, that everybody is different and unique. We all choose our own paths in life, and despite your attraction to Chat Noir, which is inevitable, it does not mean you have to chose him as a mate. You decide your own destiny, Marinette.”

Marinette sat there in silence for a while, her face gradually returning back to its normal, pale colour. Tikki’s words still freaked her out, but she felt a little better knowing that she wasn’t pre-destined to throw herself into Chat Noir’s arms one day against her will, declaring her undying love for him. She had a choice in this. Chat Noir was her – Marinette gulped – soulmate, but as Tikki had explained, that could imply anything.

This latest information made her feel weird. Once again, she was forced to see Chat Noir in a new light. The person who was, universally speaking, perfect for her. Her fated. Marinette shook her head at the thought. A fated best friend. That thought made Ladybug relax once more.

Running her hands over her face, Marinette let out a deep breath she didn’t realise she had been holding. She turned back towards Tikki with a small smile. Her face was stained with tears, but at least they were no longer falling freely from her eyes.

“That’s why I’m sure everything will be alright in the end,” Tikki reassured her holder. “You’re a good person, Marinette, and you’ll make things right with Chat Noir. And he’s a good person too, so I know that one day he’ll be willing to listen. He just needs some time, I’m sure.”

Marinette’s mind then wondered back to Master Fu’s words of warning.

“But what about what Master Fu said? He told me to be quick.”

Tikki held her little arm up to stop Marinette before she began a panicked ramble.

“Don’t worry too much about what Master Fu said,” Tikki explained. “In a sense, he’s right, this does need fixing quickly. But if you rush into this without careful thought and reflection, you could risk making the problem worse than it is already, and that would create a far worse outcome.”

Marinette smiled a true happy smile for the first time all day. The young girl reached out and gently stroked her kwami’s head, and Tikki giggled, grabbing onto Marinette’s finger affectionately.

“What would I do without you Tikki?” Marinette beamed before her eyes narrowed curiously. “I’m guessing there’s lots of other things you aren’t telling me?”

Tikki let out another giggle. “Oh, lots of things.”

“I’m also going to guess that you’re not going to tell me?”

The red kwami grinned sheepishly. “All in good time, Marinette, all in good time.”

~~

Adrien had been tossing and turning in his large bed for some time now. The blond model let out the third sigh this minute, his eyes gravitating to stare at the silver ring that rested permanently on his finger since he had gotten it all that time ago. Had Ladybug known about Master Fu right from the very start? What else was she hiding that he was so blissfully unaware of?

This whole time, he must have looked like a complete idiot to her. He felt almost as if he had been treated like a child. Like he was too stupid to handle this information, or handle an akuma on his own while Ladybug safely recovered from an illness.

Surely, it would have been simple enough for Ladybug to just leave a message on his baton that she wasn’t well enough to fight? He would’ve understood. He could’ve handled the akuma and agreed to drop it off at a location Ladybug could easily get to in order to purify it. Then again, his lady never did simple and easy. It was one of her many annoying yet irresistible qualities.

Growling to himself, Adrien shook his head. He was supposed to be mad at her, not start fantasising about her. Adrien closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. He had never felt so betrayed. The girl he loved more than anything didn’t trust and respect him enough to regale him with very important information relating to their powers. That thought pierced through his heart.

Adrien was used to pain, to sorrow, to being continuously let down, however he never thought Ladybug would join in on that trend that plagued his existence.

The vision of Ladybug’s body lying so incredibly still on top of that car flashed into his head, causing Adrien to whimper and place his pillow over his head in the hopes of blocking it out. He had nearly lost her today, and he was busy wallowing in self-pity when he should be grateful that Ladybug was alive. He should never have brought this up. He was pathetic. He was ungrateful.

But…again Adrien couldn’t help but feel hurt. He had every right to. Ladybug clearly displayed that she knew she had done wrong. Adrien cringed at the memory of the pain on Ladybug’s face when he had swatted her hand away.

She did care.

Deep down, he knew Ladybug would never do anything towards him out of malice. Yet for some reason, that didn’t ease the pain or the betrayal he felt. He knew he would go running back to her like a lap-dog…cat? He always did, he thought to himself with a huff. However, right now, Adrien needed to collect his thoughts, and he could never do that with Ladybug around. He always got drunk on her very presence. She was a fine wine he could never resist. It was best like this for now.

Plus, it wasn’t like Ladybug would worry too much about him. As much as it pained him, he knew that her feelings for him did not run as deep as his did for her. Maybe that was part of the problem. Did he expect too much from her? Ladybug was a superhero who took her job seriously. In reality, Adrien didn’t know her, not really. Who was he to demand Ladybug tell him secrets she had every right to keep?

This was a secret he felt like involved him though. That’s what rubbed him the wrong way. As a holder of a miraculous, did he not have the right to know about the guardian? The very reason it seems, he was chosen as Chat Noir in the first place?

Adrien let out another sigh, and this time, Plagg had had enough.

“I swear kid, if you sigh one more time!” Plagg threatened with a growl before turning over and trying to get back to sleep.

Adrien looked up at the tired kwami resting further up on his pillow.

“Plagg?”

Plagg didn’t respond, instead letting out exaggerated snores, pretending to be asleep. Adrien rolled his eyes, ignoring the more than obvious hint that his kwami wanted to be left alone.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Master Fu?” Adrien asked.

Plagg groaned, turning back over to glare at Adrien with his bright green, cat-like eyes. “I was sworn to secrecy until the time was right or things became desperate, and well, things became desperate.”

“But why?”

Plagg rolled his eyes. “The old guy has been pretty paranoid since…well, since what happened in Tibet.”

“What happened in Tibet?”

“I’ve already said too much. That’s Master Fu’s story, not mine. But what I will tell you, as you already know, is that not all miraculous wielders use their powers for good. Some find the miraculous and abuse its power, like Hawkmoth. However, sometimes a chosen miraculous user can, well, become corrupted. When they’re chosen, everything is fine at first, but through various foreseen or unforeseen events and circumstances, they become bad and then use the miraculous for evil or their own selfish means.”

Adrien blinked. “And Master Fu did this?”

Plagg shook his head. “I wasn’t there when it happened. I was still asleep. I just know that Master Fu made a terrible mistake and it haunts him to this very day.”

Adrien couldn’t help but think back to what Plagg had introduced Master Fu as: the last guardian.

“Is that why Master Fu is the only guardian left?”

It took a while for Plagg to respond, but eventually the small black cat kwami slowly nodded his head.

“When I’m asleep and lay dormant, I hear things sometimes. I couldn’t pick out anything coherent though. All I remember was hearing these awful yells of a terrifying woman. I can only guess that was the moment Master Fu fled with the surviving miraculous in his possession. When the temple was destroyed.” Plagg shuddered.

“I wonder who she was.”

“Beats me.” Plagg shrugged. “But that’s all I know, and don’t go bugging Master Fu with it.”

“I won’t,” Adrien reassured.

“But that’s why Master Fu is paranoid. He doesn’t want to give a miraculous and his information out to just anyone in order to avoid what happened to him before. Really, he’s just doing his job: guarding the miraculous, their powers and their secrets.”

“Do you think that’s what Ladybug was doing?”

Plagg shrugged again. “I can’t speak for Ladybug as I don’t really know the girl. But to be honest, she doesn’t strike me as the type to purposefully hurt you by doing something like this, or that it was something to do with a lack of trust. I get the impression she’s just a bit gormless sometimes.”

That revelation shocked Adrien. “Ladybug? Gormless?”

“She’s certainly clumsy enough in her civilian form,” Plagg muttered to himself, curling back up on Adrien’s pillow.

“What was that, Plagg?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Adrien hummed to himself, deep in thought as he turned to stare out of his window. He couldn’t just lay there tossing and turning all night. He needed some fresh air. It was late enough that hopefully he wouldn’t bump into Ladybug, so he could hopefully have some space to think.

“Let’s go for a walk Plagg.” Adrien sat up, fist clenched and ready to transform.

“Let’s _not_ ,” Plagg retorted, curling into a tighter ball on Adrien’s pillow, pretending to snore again.

But Adrien ignored him. “Plagg, claws out!”

“Hey, wait!” Plagg begged as he began to be sucked into the ring. “This is kwami abbussssee!”

~~

Marinette had been tossing and turning for the past few hours. She was completely exhausted, but for some reason, she just could not get to sleep. Tikki was fast asleep on the pillow next to her, and she couldn’t help but scowl at her kwami in jealousy. Then again, thinking about it, did Marinette want to go to sleep where she could potentially have more weird and awkward dreams about Chat Noir?

Tossing towards her other side again, Marinette huffed to herself, before deciding she might as well get some fresh air. Maybe that would help her relax and get some decent sleep.

Gently and quietly so as not to wake Tikki, Marinette crept towards the hatch that led to her rooftop balcony. She unlocked the door as quietly as she could before climbing out and carefully closing the door behind her. Marinette then sighed as she stood up and walked towards the metal railing before leaning against it. Not even the sight of the whole of Paris spread out before her could cheer her up this time. Because she knew that somewhere in the beautiful city before her, Chat Noir was hurt because of her.

That thought was enough to push Marinette over the edge again, and before she could stop herself, she was crying again.

“What’s a beautiful _puurrincess_ doing out crying at this time of night?”

That voice! Marinette jumped, barely managing to keep in her scream as she quickly placed a hand over her mouth as her whole body twisted involuntary around towards the source of the voice. Chat Noir was sat on the roof above her in his typical cat like sitting position, looking down at her with a concerned frown on his face.

“Chat Noir?” Marinette questioned, internally damning the fact that she was not Ladybug right now so she could apologise to him profusely.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He chuckled nervously before jumping down and landing in front of her, his face curious. “What are you doing here?”

He gently caught one of Marinette’s stray tears with his finger and wiped it away, her skin tingling at his touch. She was so glad that he seemed okay.

“I live here,” she answered, slightly confused.

“Oh.” Chat looked taken aback. “That’s right, I forgot. Sorry, I just somehow ended up here without really thinking. I’ve been sat on your roof for a while. I was about to leave when I saw you come out, and I couldn’t exactly ignore you when you started crying.”

“I see.” Marinette giggled nervously. “Well, I’m fine.”

Chat frowned again. “You’re a terrible liar, Marinette.”

Marinette shrugged, turning to look out over the railing again. Chat joined her, standing next to her and also leaning against the metal bars, his eyes watching her curiously.

“Just had a long day.”

Chat sighed. “Same here.”

They stood together in comfortable silence for a few moments before they both tried to speak at the same time.

“So what’s bugging –”

“So what’s bugging –”

They both laughed.

“You first,” Marinette insisted.

Chat Noir let out one last chuckled before his face turned serious again. “I don’t think you’d understand.”

Marinette smiled softly, turning around to sit on one of the chairs available. She patted the one next to her, and Chat Noir took the hint and sat down, shooting her a small grateful smile.

“Even so,” Marinette said, “it might still help to get it off your chest. I’m a good listener.”

“Well,” Chat began, “in a nutshell I got into a small fight with Ladybug.”

Marinette feigned shock, all the while trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to betray her identity.

“But I thought you and Ladybug were a close-knit team?”   

“We were. We are,” Chat quickly corrected, “she just…she kept a secret from me. A very important secret, and it made me feel like she can’t trust me, or that she doesn’t see me as an equal.”

“Of course she does!” Marinette cried out, standing up and throwing her arms out in shock.

Chat Noir stared up at her in alarm at her sudden, seemingly unjustified outburst. Marinette blushed while mentally scolding herself; she wasn’t Ladybug right now. She had to play it cool. Nervously, she sat back down while Chat remained frozen, looking at her as if she had just grown an extra head.

“I mean…surely Ladybug didn’t mean any harm?” Marinette tried to save herself. “Yeah what she did was horrible, and I can understand why you feel the way you do, but…have you tried to get a proper explanation out of her?”

“She said she thought it was a need to know only secret.” Chat glared straight ahead. “But it was a secret that I think I needed to know.”

“Why don’t you try talking to Ladybug about it again?” Marinette asked cautiously.

Chat sighed. “Honestly, I’m too angry with her right now to talk to her.”

Marinette closed her eyes, looking down in shame. Her heart stopped in her chest before painfully restarting.

“She deserves it.” Marinette mumbled.

“No.” Chat Noir ran his hands through his scruffy blond hair. “I was probably too hasty when I ran away from her. I just needed space to think.”

“That’s understandable.” Marinette twiddled her thumbs as she tried to swallow the painful lump that had formed in her throat.

She was trying her hardest to act natural, when in reality, all she wanted to do was grab Chat and hug him close, to apologise until she was blue in the face, and promise to never let Chat down again. The urge was unbearable, so Marinette clamped her hands together in an effort to stop her arms from wrapping around his tall form sat next to her against her will. She couldn’t give even the slightest hint she was Ladybug.

That’s when she remembered her graze.

Marinette let out a loud gasp before she quickly pulled her hair ties out and pulled her dark hair in front of her face to cover the graze up. It seemed to be pure dumb luck that Chat hadn’t spotted it. Or if he had, he hadn’t put two and two together.

Chat Noir once again turned to stare at her with wide eyes.

“Are you alright?” Chat asked worriedly, looking slightly freaked out.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Marinette answered a little too quickly, “it’s just my hair ties were starting to pull on my scalp too much, so I decided to take them out. Ahhh, that’s better.” Marinette flicked her dark hair for added effect while Chat Noir just stared at her.

He then smiled as he took a small strand between his finger and thumb and twirled it slightly. Marinette gulped, and her cheeks turned a light shade of red as even the close proximity of his hand to her cheek gave her skin a pleasurable electric shock.  

“I’ve never seen your hair down before,” he commented.

All Marinette could do was laugh nervously in reply.

“It looks nice.” He looked back up at her and smiled.

“Thanks.” Her blush deepened slightly. She quickly looked away from his hypnotic green eyes and back to the view of the city in front of them.

“Now it’s your turn,” Chat Noir announced.

“My turn for what?”

“To tell me what made you cry?” Chat asked softly, leaning forward slightly in concern. He rested his elbows on his knees and cupped his hands together, gazing at her intently. “If someone hurt you, I can go hunt them down for you?”

Marinette giggled before letting out a sigh. “No one hurt me, it’s something _I’ve_ done.”

Chat Noir’s eyes widened. “I find that hard to believe.”

“I’m no saint, Chat.” Marinette frowned bringing her knees up to her chest before resting her chin on them. “I’m in love with this boy.”

“Oooh do tell.” Chat Noir smirked, leaning closer.

“I can’t.” Marinette sighed. “But the thing is…I love this boy, but I keep having dreams about another boy I know, but I can’t be in love with two people.”

“I see,” Chat murmured, looking down at his hands.

“I mean what kind of selfish, greedy person could be in love with two people at the same time?” Marinette exclaimed.

Chat Noir remained unusually quiet.

Finally, he spoke up.

“And do you love this other guy? The one you keep dreaming about?”

“No!” Marinette yelled in denial. “I mean, as a friend, yes.”

Chat looked at her suspiciously. “You’re not doing a very good job of convincing me, Marinette.”

“But it’s true!” Marinette protested, her blue eyes focused desperately on Chat Noir, begging for him to believe her. Marinette couldn’t help but feel guilty that she was talking about Chat Noir _to Chat Noir._

“Then a…friend of mine was little help when she told me this kind of thing is normal.”

“And isn’t it?”

“No!” Marinette cried out hopelessly.

“Do these guys know you’re in love with them?” Chat asked.

Marinette glared at him. “It’s just the one guy I’m in love with, and are you insane? Of course he doesn’t know?”

The black cat superhero couldn’t help but shake his head incredulously. “Don’t you think you should tell this guy you like him?”

“Are you kidding?” Marinette squeaked. “No! But every time I try to get close to him to maybe one day try and tell him how I feel, something else always gets in the way, or I mess up and make a complete fool of myself. I’m so clumsy and pathetic, and he could probably never love me back.”

Chat Noir smiled. “I find that hard to believe. You’re amazing, Marinette.”

Marinette gasped at the compliment, and Chat Noir blushed slightly.

“It’s true though,” he insisted, “what guy wouldn’t fall for you?”

Marinette smiled. “You’re sweet, Chat Noir.”

“Hey, I don’t _sugar_ coat the truth.”

Marinette giggled, for once unable to bring herself to facepalm at his terrible puns. She would put up with his bad puns for eternity if it meant that he was happy after all the pain she had caused him. After their little chat tonight, Marinette was even more determined to make things right. Chat deserved to know the truth, and she would never hide anything from him again…well…except her identity of course.

“But hey,” Chat interrupted her thoughts, “let’s not talk about our problems again tonight.”

Marinette smiled and nodded in agreement.

The young heroes weren’t sure long they stayed awake in each other’s company. For goodness knows how many hours, the pair spent their time stargazing, both pointing out any constellations that they recognised. In the end, they began making up their own, laughing at the backstories that each of them created for them.

Before long, Marinette began dozing, and she soon fell asleep against Chat Noir’s shoulder. For once, she barely dreamed that night, only retaining faint memories of a gentle voice singing softly to her, and a hand stroking her cheek before she finally drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your kudos, comments and bookmarks! Knowing that people enjoy this story inspires me to keep going!


	6. Two Left Feet

The hotel corridor was long and narrow, with a carpet of an ugly dark blue with neon green swirls that seemed to have faded slightly over time. The walls were a faded yellow, and the windows looking out onto the city below were smudged around the edges. Upon squinting through the old, barely cleaned glass, the London Eye and Elizabeth Tower could just about be made out in the distance. The dark water of the River Thames could also be seen sloshing against the side of the hotel below with the occasional boat sailing by.

Waiting for the elevator was a man dressed in all black, slightly dishevelled from a day of travelling and little sleep, but otherwise his appearance remained immaculate. He clutched his black bowler hat in his hand impatiently, brushing away a stray black hair that had managed to wriggle its way free from his pony tail out of his face.

The elevator finally dinged, opening with a flood of people disembarking. A few people stared at his strange intimidating appearance, muttering something in English that he did not understand, nor care enough to wonder. The man picked up his black briefcase and stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. He watched the numbers with narrowed eyes, tapping his foot as he awaited to reach his destination with bated breath.

G…1…2…3…4…5…6…

Finally, the elevator stopped and opened on the top floor leading to the pent house suite. This floor was more well kept than the others. The ugly carpet remained, though this one retained more colour, and the double doors that led into the room were pearly white. The man stepped out and removed one black leather glove before knocking on the door gently with his finger.

“Who is it?” A female voice called from the other side.

“It’s me, Madame,” the man in black answered.

“Enter.”

Pressing down on the door handle, the man entered cautiously, looking around the room. It was decent enough for a pent house suite, but not the level of sophistication that he knew his boss would enjoy. The room was spacious with little furniture. A beige leather couch faced the large wide screen TV above the fireplace, with a cream rug in front and glass table on top. Situated by the large window overlooking the city of London was a large wooden desk.

Sat in the black leather chair, facing away from him and looking out into the city, was a petite woman with her thick blonde hair styled in a wavy bob cut that almost reached her shoulders. The man froze upon the sight of his boss and cleared his throat before holding his briefcase higher up with both hands. He moved towards her desk and placed it down before fiddling with the combination and opening it up. Inside were various papers and photographs.

The woman in the chair finally turned around and regarded him with a guarded neutral expression.

“Are you sure it’s her?” she asked in a calm voice.

The man merely grinned, a dark glint in his eye. “See for yourself.”

The woman picked up the papers and regarded them carefully.

“I’ve been watching her for some time now. I’ve managed to gather as much evidence as possible.”

“Very good, Leon,” the woman praised, reading the documents carefully. “So, her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

Leon nodded. “She lives in Paris, Madame, with a Thomas Dupain and his wife Sabine Cheng. They own a bakery there. Marinette also attends the school across the road: Collège Françoise Dupont.”

“Cheng.” The woman’s voice turned steely, yet her expression remained the same. Her fingers tightened slightly on the paper she held.

“And there’s more Madame.” Leon’s grin became even wider as he handed his boss a photo.

The woman gently took the photo and gasped. There was Marinette, mid-transformation into Ladybug in a dark alleyway. The photo was taken from behind, but the evidence was clear.

A smile began to tug at the corner of the woman’s lips. “That crazy old lady was right.”

“It would seem that both the ladybug and the cat miraculous have been activated. They have been battling a villain who refers to himself as Hawkmoth, and it would appear he is in possession of the butterfly brooch.”

“No! It can’t be…” The woman slammed her hand down on the desk, making Leon jump, before she abruptly stood up and stormed towards the window, the photo clutched tightly in her hand.

Leon’s dark eyes widened slightly as it appeared his boss seemed to be trembling slightly. She was muttering something to herself, and Leon strained his ears to listen, but could not pick up anything coherent. As suddenly as it started, her shaking and muttering stopped, and her body became stiff and controlled once again.

“I think it’s time I took back what’s mine,” the woman said with an almost deranged hint of excitement. “Leon?”

“Yes, Madame?”

“Arrange my immediate return to Paris.”  

~~

“Oh, Tikki, I can’t believe I slept through my alarm!” Marinette shrieked as she rushed around her room trying to get ready as quickly as possible. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

Tikki sighed. “I tried to Marinette. That’s what you get for staying awake with Chat Noir all night.”

Marinette blushed and bit her lip as she searched frantically around for her school books before quickly shoving them into her pink backpack.

“And it’s a good job your laughter woke me up in the night, otherwise Chat Noir would have seen me when he put you to bed. You’ve got to be more careful, Marinette!” Tikki scolded, her little red face filled with worry and concern for her holder.

Marinette froze. “Chat put me to bed?”

Her face immediately erupted into a lava field of embarrassment, flushing as red as her ladybug suit as she began trembling slightly at the thought. Marinette had found it strange that she woke up in bed when the last thing she remembered was talking and laughing with Chat Noir as they gazed at the stars together, but she had just assumed that she was too tired to remember making her way to bed.

The thought of Chat Noir carrying her to bed made her shiver, and her stomach tied itself into tight knots as her heart began doing somersaults in her chest. Marinette was beyond embarrassed, but she couldn’t help but also feel slightly touched. She never truly appreciated how truly sweet and caring Chat Noir could be.

Feeling herself beginning to melt slightly into a dreamy state, Marinette gasped and pulled at her hair to snap herself out of it. What on earth was going on with her? Chat was just being a good friend and he was just that. _A friend! Nothing more!_ Marinette growled to herself; she really needed to snap out of this state she seemed to have gotten herself in over Chat.

Shaking her head, Marinette quickly covered her graze – which was now thankfully starting to scab over – with makeup before swinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Quickly Tikki,” Marinette urged, “we’re gonna be late.”

Tikki quickly flew into Marinette’s bag out of sight as the young girl all but jumped from the hatch of her bedroom down to the room below, startling her mother slightly. Marinette knew her mother wouldn’t be happy with her skipping breakfast, but it was either that or arrive at school on time. Her teachers were already frustrated enough with her tardiness, and she didn’t want to end up being punished again, or grounded by her parents.

“Bye mom, love you!” Marinette called out as she ran out of the door.

Luckily her father was busy with a customer, so they both briefly smiled and waved at each other as Marinette dashed out onto the street. Sprinting as fast she could, Marinette made it just in time for the bell to ring. Out of breath, she made her way to Miss Bustier’s class. Alya was already sat waiting with a huge smile on her face and phone clutched tightly in her hand. When she saw Marinette, she enthusiastically waved her best friend over.

“Girl, you are never going to believe this!” Alya squealed excitedly.

“What?”

“Remember the akuma attack yesterday?”

“Yeah?”

“I help Chat Noir save the day!”

Marinette gasped, falling backwards slightly before Alya grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her down into her seat. She began furiously typing away on her phone before all but shoving it into Marinette’s face. Marinette pushed the phone back slightly so she could see properly and almost choked when she saw video footage of herself passed out on top of a car on the Ladyblog.

She watched as Chat Noir shielded her from the akuma attack, and Alya run away to distract the giant monster while Chat got her to safety. The guilt then increased ten-fold. Her actions had placed Alya in danger. Chat Noir had had to rely on Alya in order for him to get her out of harm’s way. Marinette couldn’t bear it, and she looked away from the footage while fighting back tears.

“I know, it’s pretty upsetting seeing Ladybug like that,” Alya comforted her friend, misinterpreting her emotions. “I hope she’s okay, Chat Noir said she hopefully would be when he left after he defeated the akuma. You should have seen him take that thing down! It was amazing!”

Marinette pressed her lips together and clenched her fists under her desk before speaking. “But why did you throw yourself into the danger Alya? You could’ve gotten yourself killed.” Marinette’s voice shook with intense worry.

“I had to Mari, it was the only way to save Ladybug.”

“You should’ve just left her there,” Marinette couldn’t help but snap, before whispering low enough to keep Alya from hearing, “Ladybug would’ve deserved it.”

“Girl, how could you say such a thing?” Alya gasped. “Ladybug saves and helps us every day, so when an opportunity comes to give back and help her in return, then that’s what I’ll do without question.”

Marinette was touched slightly at Alya’s sweet, yet naïve statement. She remained quiet, not wanting to argue further for fear of Alya picking up on her odd behaviour.

“So, are you feeling better today?” Alya asked changing the subject. “You still look a little on the exhausted side.”

“Yeah, I just couldn’t sleep last night.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Adrien bursting into the room. He too had bags under his eyes and was panting slightly as he dashed into the classroom. His cheeks were flushed slightly as he took his seat next to Nino, giving his friend a smile. Nino shot him a puzzled look before smiling back.

“What happened to you, dude?” Nino asked, chuckling slightly. “You look like you haven’t gotten a wink of sleep.”

Alya laughed. “Hey, maybe he can join Marinette’s tired club. She didn’t get much sleep either.”

Adrien laughed before looking up and smiling at Marinette. Marinette gulped and blushed, offering Adrien and small awkward wave.

“Maybe we could.” Adrien laughed again before the class was silenced as Miss Bustier took the register.

Once that was finished, Miss Bustier cleared her throat for an announcement. “Now remember class that you have no morning lessons today. Once the bell rings, you are to make your way to the courtyard.”

Some of the kids in the class groaned, and Marinette tapped Alya on the shoulder.

“What’s this about?” she asked.

“Oh yeah, I forgot you weren’t hear yesterday afternoon.” Alya smirked before rolling her eyes. “We have this special dance teacher coming into school today to teach us ballroom dances.”

“What? Why?” Marinette gasped nervously.

Alya shrugged. “Something to do with getting students involved in more creative activities. I think it’s some sort of taster session for a club this teacher wants to start in school or something.”

“Oh, great,” Marinette muttered as she buried her head in her arms on the desk.

“But Marinette, this is the perfect opportunity to dance with Adrien again,” Alya whispered in her ear, and Marinette’s head immediately shot up.

“Do you really think so?”

Alya smiled and nodded. “You better get in there and ask him.”

“But what if I make a complete fool of myself?! What if I trip or stand on his foot or –”

“You’ll be fine,” Alya interrupted her friend as the bell rang.

Everyone in class sighed as they began making their way towards the courtyard. Marinette tried to quickly get up and catch up with Adrien, but was unable to squeeze past a lot of her classmates. Growing increasingly frustrated, Marinette finally managed to squeeze past Ivan who shot her a confused look. Marinette smiled awkwardly and waved him off. She could just about see Adrien’s blond hair at the front of the crowd and she smiled determinedly.

The class came to a stop, talking amongst themselves as they waited for the dance lessons to start. People were already picking partners. Alya had managed to scoot her way over to Nino. Catching her eye, Alya gave her best friend a wink and thumbs up before motioning her to hurry up towards Adrien. Marinette nodded and gave her a thumbs up back, ducking and diving through her friends towards the love of her life.

Adrien was stood at the front, waiting patiently before he jumped slightly when Marinette timidly tapped his arm.

“Oh, hey tired buddy.” He laughed. “What’s up?”

“O-oh h-hey Adrien,” Marinette stuttered. _Oh no._ “F-fancy seeing you here?”

Marinette then gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth as Adrien raised a confused eyebrow at her.

“I-I mean…! Ummm…” Marinette then began tangling and untangling her fingers nervously, her blue eyes darted around erratically as Adrien’s expression grew increasingly confused and concerned.

“It’s a l-lovely d-day, huh? J-just makes you want to dance?”

“Are you alright Marinette?” Adrien asked, worried.

“Me?” Marinette laughed nervously. “I-I’m great! S-so wondering I was want, you do dance?”

“Errr…yeah…I do know how to dance,” Adrien responded looking more and more confused.

Marinette mentally face palmed. _Come on Marinette! You can do this!_ She could feel her cheeks getting hot, and Marinette quickly covered them with her hands to hide her blush.

“That’s great!” Marinette managed to save herself without stuttering. “W-which is w-why I was wondering –”

“Ugh, take your babbling somewhere else and move!” A snooty voice appeared behind Marinette, and she suddenly felt herself being violent pushed out of the way. Alya managed to catch her friend in time before her head hit the concrete, and both of them glared daggers at Chloé’s back.

“Adrikins!” Chloé squealed. “We’re obviously going to be dance partners, right? We’ll show these losers how it’s done.”

Adrien leaned away awkwardly, and Marinette sighed in defeat.

“I blew it.”

“Aw Mari, don’t worry, just dance like you’ve never danced before and I’m sure Adrien will notice you,” Alya reassured.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “That might work if I was a good dancer.”

Alya smiled. “You are, girl, you just need to be confident. Don’t think too much and just let the music take you away.”

Marinette smiled back, hoping to take Alya’s advice on board.

“Hey, Marinette?” a shy, low voice asked behind her.

Marinette turned around to see Nathaniel standing behind her. His orange bangs covered his turquoise eyes as he bit his lip shyly.

“I was wondering if you wanted to be my partner?”

Marinette looked at Alya for guidance who nodded. The young girl then smiled at Nathaniel.

“Sure, Nath.”

Nathaniel finally looked up and beamed at her, and they both stood next to each other as the female teacher who had just walked in clapped her hands to silence everyone and get their attention. She was a tall, thin woman with sharp features. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a bun, and she was wearing a velvet dark red leotard with black leggings and dancing shoes. She regarded the class with a firm eye, pursing her ruby red lips slightly as she took in everyone’s appearance and stance.

“Morning class, I am Mariana,” she introduced herself loudly in a thick Spanish accent. “I will be your dance teacher this morning. As you may have already been told, I am hoping to start after school classes here for anyone interested, so this is just a taster session to hopefully garner interest.”

Mariana paced in front of them as if she was a military commander. Her posture was perfect, and her feet were graceful as she moved across the ground, as if all of her movements were perfectly rehearsed. Marinette payed close attention, hoping to imitate these movements and impress Adrien. If she could be poised and graceful like that, then maybe she could capture his interest. So far, her clumsiness had gotten her nowhere apart from many moments of embarrassment, just like a few minutes before when she had failed to ask him to be her partner.   

“For this taster session, I will be teaching you the Argentine tango.”

Marinette could hear a few people, most likely Alix, Kim and Ivan, groan. Marinette could feel her nerves bubbling up once again. She had never done any proper ballroom dancing before. Before she had even started dancing, Marinette began to feel like this would be a disaster. Once again, she would embarrass herself in front of Adrien, and he would forever think she was some sort of freak.

“Now, this is a difficult dance to master, “Mariana continued, “but I chose this one for the taster session to show the kind of skills I expect you to learn. I expect nothing but the best.”

Marinette gulped.

“Now does everybody have partners?”

The class nodded.

“Very good.” Mariana’s smile was slightly stiff. “Música,” she virtually ordered Mr Damocles who jumped at her loud, barking command.

He frowned slightly before pressing play on the old looking boombox that the school had kept for many years, and soon the typical tango music filled the air. The music seemed to be at a slow pace, and Marinette relaxed slightly, hoping that Mariana was going to start off slow.

“Now take hold of your partner and make sure you hold them close,” she instructed.

Marinette and Nathaniel both laughed nervously before taking told of each other. Marinette placed her hand in his and the other hand on his shoulder while Nathaniel’s other hand grabbed her waist. He blushed slightly, and Marinette looked back at Mariana, waiting for the next instruction.

She tried to fight back the jealous monster bubbling up inside at the sight of Chloé yanking a startled Adrien towards her before he shook his head and rolled his eyes as she rested her head against his chest, a content smile on her face.

“Oh Adrikins, this is so romantic!”

Marinette gritted her teeth at Chloé’s comment, and Nathaniel gave her a concerned look. Mariana continued with her instructions, and Marinette did her absolute best to follow them. Soon the whole class was dancing the routine Mariana had choreographed for them before they began to speed up once they became more confident. Marinette on the other hand was not doing so well. Nathaniel seemed to be picking it up okay, but she kept ruining it. He remained patient with her though, laughing after wincing in pain as Marinette stood on his foot for the tenth time.

“Oh Nath, I’m so sorry!” Marinette gasped.

“No no.” Nathaniel laughed. “It’s okay. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.”

Marinette sighed, not believing him. Her eyes remained glued to Adrien dancing with Chloé in the distance. Their movements were perfect, and Mariana nodded and smiled at them as she walked past.

“You too are _very_ good together,” she almost purred before moving on and watching the other students.

Mariana then caught sight of Marinette and Nathaniel, and she scoffed before storming towards them.

“Eyes on your partner,” she snapped at Marinette.

The music sped up, and so did Nathaniel as a result, causing Marinette to trip.

“No no no no!” Mariana shrieked. “You have about as much grace as an elephant.”

Marinette frowned, shrinking away self-consciously. She knew it was true, but was there any need to shout it out like that? A few of her classmates had slowed down to watch what was going on, and they sniggered at Marinette, causing her to blush.

Mariana shook her head before she grabbed hold of both of them.

“Close together, chest to chest por favor.”

Marinette gasped as her chest was pressed up against Nathaniel’s. They both blushed furiously, causing the classmates near her to laugh even more. Marinette looked down in embarrassment before her chin was grabbed and yanked up by Mariana.

“What did I just say? Eyes on your partner! Now come on, show me what you can do. Be passionate. No smiling! Only show passion as you gaze into each other’s eyes.”

Suddenly more eyes were on the two of them, and Marinette began to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Nathaniel didn’t look too happy either, shooting Mariana glares out of the corner of his eye as she continued to watch them, frowning and tutting at their every movement.

“This is our first time doing this dance you know,” Nathaniel muttered at Mariana, who stuck her nose in the air and tutted once again.

Marinette squealed as she tripped again, this time catching Nathaniel off guard as he continued to glare at Mariana from under his bangs. He didn’t manage to catch her time, which sent them both tumbling down. Marinette’s face became squashed up against his chest, and his arms wrapped around her instinctively. The force of her fall knocked him off balance, and he stumbled back as he tried to right the both of them, ultimately failing miserably.

In the process of trying to regain his balance, he bumped into Alya and Nino, and they too lost their balance. Nathaniel and Marinette both then collapsed on the ground with Marinette lying on top of Nathaniel just as they started a domino effect of everyone in class falling and crashing into each other. Marinette couldn’t bring herself to look as everyone else was soon on the ground apart from Adrien and Chloé. Adrien yanked himself away from Chloé’s strong, possessive embrace, and looked worriedly at his classmates on the floor who were groaning in pain.

“No!” Mariana shrieked, placing her hands on her cheeks in horror. “What a disaster!”

Managing to pull herself up slightly, Marinette groaned, unknowingly straddling a blushing Nathaniel as she looked around at the mess she had just caused.

“You know, Marinette,” Chloé said as she grinned, folding her arms, “if you wanted alone time with Nathaniel, you didn’t have to cause a pile up.”

Marinette squealed and immediately jumped off Nathaniel, shuffling as far away from him as possible, moving to hide behind Alya in embarrassment. Alya managed to pick herself up and place a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder as Nino also smiled at her.

“Leave her alone Chloé, it was only an accident,” Nino defended her.

Chloé scoffed. “Her clumsiness wrecked mine and Adrien’s perfect dance.”

“It doesn’t matter Chlo, it was only an accident,” Adrien tried to calm her down.

Mariana yelped as she threw her head back before charging towards Marinette. “You, little walking disaster, will not be allowed in my class.”

Mr Damocles cleared his throat. “Actually, Mariana, my dear, I’m not sure this dancing class of yours sounds like a good idea now.”

“What?” Mariana yelled in shock.

“I just don’t think the students are up for it. Especially with the level of expectation you have.”

“But…but…”

“I’m sorry, Mariana.” Mr Damocles then frowned at the class who were just managing to pick themselves up off the ground, most of them shooting Marinette reassuring smiles. “Class dismissed,” he then announced, causing some of them to cheer.

This only made Mariana angrier.

“Maybe try teaching more experienced dancers,” Mr Damocles suggested before walking off back to his office.

Marinette shot Mariana a worried and apologetic look. Mariana merely glared and turned away, causing Marinette to sigh, following Alya back to class with an ashamed look on her face.

“Relax girl, it wasn’t your fault,” Alya tried to reassure Marinette.

“Yeah,” Nino chimed in as he wrapped his arm affectionately around Alya’s shoulders, “that woman was too much of a perfectionist. She needed to chillax.”

“She _was_ really pushy,” Marinette mused.

“Exactly.” Alya rolled her eyes. “She seriously needs to learn that not everybody is going to be amazing at dancing.”

Marinette smiled at her friends as they headed back into the building, unaware of the dark butterfly that had just flown past behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your comments, bookmarks and kudos! It always helps me to keep going, knowing that people are enjoying this story.


	7. Losing Control

Marinette slouched in her seat, barely able to pay attention to Miss Bustier, next to Alya who had lost all hope of comforting her friend. The young hero of Paris really didn’t seem to be having that much luck these past few days. Marinette made a mental note to talk to Tikki about that. If ladybugs were supposedly so lucky, then what gives? Why did Marinette’s life mainly consist of disaster after disaster?

She couldn’t even handle a simple dance class without costing the teacher a potential job. Trying to ignore the glares that she could feel Chloé giving her, she rested her right cheek in her hand, hiding her face as much as possible from the view of the rest of the class. She gazed down at the back of Adrien’s head, softly sighing to herself. Another chance to get his attention and she had blown it.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, Adrien turned around, and Marinette froze at having been caught staring at him. He offered her a small reassuring smile before turning back around, and Marinette felt herself sinking down even further into her seat. She really needed to keep herself under control and stop gawping at him so much like a weirdo. Who knew what he could be thinking of her right now? He probably thought she had some sort of obsession with him, which truthfully, she did, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to know. Well…the word obsession might be too strong. Undying love?

_Focus Marinette,_ she mentally scolded herself.

A sudden low booming noise echoed from down the corridor, causing Miss Bustier to stop talking and frown slightly at the door. The rest of the students also listened carefully, and Marinette suddenly had a sinking feeling. The low booming noise continued, and it took Marinette a few seconds to realise it was loud music coming from somewhere else in the school. After being a superhero for a while now, Marinette was fairly certain she knew exactly what was going on.

Her theory was quickly confirmed when the classroom door burst open. The students yelled in fear, and Marinette shrunk back when she saw what looked like the akumatized version of Mariana gallop into the room. Her skin was pale white, and her limbs moved gracefully, her appearance reminding Marinette of the ballerinas inside a music box. Her leotard was protruding out more from her waist and was still a dark red. Her lips and eyes were the same dark red as her leotard, and she was now wearing red ballet shoes with white tights that blended with her skin. In her hand, she carried what looked like a gun which too was dark red with beautiful black swirl patterns engraved on it. As she entered, she did a little twirl before her eyes began scanning the room, finally landing on Marinette.

“There you are,” she sang. “Don’t worry, my pet, we’ll soon turn you into a graceful dancer. The Dancing Queen is here to help you.”

Students began running out of the room as Marinette remained frozen, thinking as hard as she could to try and get out of this situation and transform. Dancing Queen fired her weapon, and a bright white light came shooting out of it. Marinette ducked and the light bounced off the back of her chair, hitting Miss Bustier instead. Marinette then watched in horror as her teacher began dancing gracefully and uncontrollably.

“Soon, everyone in Paris will be perfect dancers!” Dancing Queen yelled.

Marinette rolled her eyes and began crawling away only to be stopped by Dancing Queen appearing in front of her.

“And you shall be my most prized dancer!”

Marinette yelped and shrank back, but Dancing Queen’s weapon was soon knocked out of her hand by a long silver staff.

“Not so young and sweet are you, Dancing Queen?” Chat Noir smirked before winking at Marinette.

“Chat Noir!” Marinette called out in relief.

Chat Noir then dove forward as Dancing Queen was momentarily distracted trying to retrieve her weapon. Scooping Marinette up into his arms, Chat then took off, running out of the classroom and down the corridor.

“I can’t leave you alone for one day,” Chat joked, and Marinette rolled her eyes.

Both of them then let out a yelp as Dancing Queen burst back out of the classroom behind him, firing her weapon erratically. Chat Noir tightened his grip on Marinette as he dove out of the way, continuing to run as fast as he could to get her out of harm’s way. Luckily, Chat seemed faster as all of Dancing Queen’s movements seemed to be some sort of dance.

Seeing his chance, Chat quickly darted behind a corner, piling both him and Marinette into a small janitors’ closet. Marinette gulped at the close proximity this put her with Chat Noir, as the small closet caused her to be pressed up against Chat’s chest. He didn’t seem to notice though as he maintained a serious look on his face and placed his black leather cat ear against the wooden door, listening intently.

“I think she ran past,” Chat whispered, turning to gaze down at a slightly trembling Marinette. “Hey, there’s no need to be scared,” he added gently, grossly misinterpreting Marinette’s trembling.

“Yeah, right.” Marinette smiled awkwardly.

“Because the super awesome and devilishly handsome Chat Noir is here to protect you.”

“Oh thank goodness!” Marinette pretended to swoon.

“Hey!” Chat pouted before he let out a low chuckle. He then became serious again as he carefully opened the door a crack to peek outside. “Okay, I think she’s gone. Stay hidden here and I’ll lure her away and defeat her.”

“Thanks for saving me, Chat.” Marinette smiled softly at him, and he smiled back.

“Anytime.”

He was about to dash off when Marinette grabbed hold of his hand, startling him slightly.

“Please be careful,” Marinette pleaded.

Chat Noir stared at her for a moment, seemingly in a trance before he snapped out of it. He shook his head slightly before grinning and winking at her.

“I’ll be fine. Cats have nine lives after all.” He then slipped out, closing the door behind him as Marinette rolled her eyes.

Tikki then flew out of her pink backpack. “That was a close one.”

“Too close” Marinette whispered before looking at Tikki with a determined look on her face. “Now we’ve got to get out there and help him. Tikki, spots on!”

The pink light of her transformation filled the entire closet, and soon enough, Ladybug was ready for action. She burst through the closest door and looked around to try and get her bearings. She had no idea which way Dancing Queen and Chat Noir had gone. Following her instincts, Ladybug headed towards the courtyard where all of this had started, and gasped as she saw many students and teachers dancing uncontrollably, their faces slightly pained as they started to become exhausted.

“Help us Ladybug!” someone begged.

“Don’t worry, I will,” Ladybug reassured them before running out of the school’s main entrance.

She looked around frantically and sighed with relief when her eyes finally landed on the sight of Chat Noir screaming and flying through the air, narrowly dodging a blast of white energy.

Without hesitating, Ladybug ran into the action, finally arriving on the street where Chat Noir was laying face down in the middle of the road.

“Chat Noir!” Ladybug yelled worriedly, running over to grab his arm and help him up.

“Hello, Ladybug,” Chat replied in a monotone voice that stung.

Her heart lurched even more when Chat quickly pulled his arm out of her grip. He was still mad. Then again, Ladybug should have expected this. But she frowned slightly, believing that Chat needed to pull himself together slightly for the sake of the mission at hand.

“Chat…I’m –”

“I’m not in the mood to hear it right now,” Chat interrupted her, refusing to look at her.

Ladybug sighed. “Look, Chat, we have a job to do right now, so we need to pull ourselves together for the sake of Paris.”

They both yelped as a blast of white light shot through the middle of them. They both jumped back slightly, and Ladybug mentally scolded herself for getting so distracted.

“All couples need to be in harmony!” Dancing Queen yelled.

Ladybug gritted her teeth. “We are not a couple!” she yelled back defensively.

She couldn’t help but notice Chat wince slightly out of the corner of her eye, and Ladybug felt her posture droop again as she stared at her partner with a worried look on her face. Chat still refused to meet her eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as if he was trying to hold himself together. The sight broke Ladybug’s heart, and she couldn’t help but wonder what she had said this time that had hurt his feelings. However, that would have to wait as Dancing Queen fired another beam of energy at them. Chat and Ladybug both dove backwards again, deciding to scatter to give Dancing Queen a tougher time catching them.

Dancing Queen screamed out in frustration before targeting random citizens in the streets. Soon it seemed like most of the population of central Paris was dancing against their will, causing Dancing Queen to laugh loudly.

“We’ve got to stop her!” Ladybug called over to Chat who was situated on the roof across from her.

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Dancing Queen cackled, attempting to shoot another energy beam at them which they managed to dodge.

She then began dancing her way to the Eiffel Tower and when Chat Noir and Ladybug peered down at the bottom of the tower, gasping at the sight before them. What looked to be hundreds, maybe even thousands of people, dancing uncontrollably together.

“What are we going to do?” Chat gasped.

Ladybug hummed, deep in thought. “What we need to do is get close to her and figure out where the akuma is.”

“But how are we going to get close?” Chat asked. “She shoots at anyone who isn’t dancing.”

That’s when it hit her.

“Oh man.” Ladybug facepalmed, trying her best to think of another plan, but annoyingly failing to do so.

“What?” Chat asked, looking confused.

“How do you feel about being my dancing partner, Chat?” Ladybug inquired awkwardly, shooting her partner a wonky, shaky smile while holding out her hand.

Chat’s green cat-like eyes widened, and he stumbled back slightly. His face then turned sullen as he looked away, once again refusing to meet Ladybug’s gaze. Ladybug lowered her hand, her face turning sad. Was it truly such a horrible thought to be near her? The thought caused Ladybug to feel like she had just been punched in the stomach as she fought back tears. But now was not the time.

“Look, Chat,” Ladybug began gently. “I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be, but right now, Paris needs us.”

Chat’s stance relaxed slightly, his frown turning into a defeated and worried expression. Ladybug held out her hand again, waiting and hoping that Chat Noir would make the right decision. She didn’t want to make Chat uncomfortable, but this was the only way they could get close enough to Dancing Queen without being shot at, and they couldn’t save Paris if they were dancing against their will until they dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Unfortunately, this was the only way.

Chat was beginning to realise this as his eyes finally drifted towards Ladybug’s outstretched hand. His gaze travelled up her arm before settling on her blue eyes, meeting them for the first time all day; blue eyes which were desperate and pleading.

With a sigh, Chat Noir jumped from the roof he was standing on, landing next to Ladybug before gently placing his hand in hers. Ladybug smiled softly and gratefully as she wrapped her fingers around his, and together, they jumped down from the roof and onto the street below, walking hand-in-hand towards the Eiffel Tower where the large crowd of people were dancing. Dancing Queen stood in the centre, watching with an evil smile on her face as everybody danced perfectly around her. 

Ladybug then nervously turned to Chat, her eyes widened in fear as Chat met her gaze curiously.

“I can’t dance though,” Ladybug whispered in embarrassment.

Despite all of his negative feelings towards her at the moment, Chat Noir couldn’t prevent his heart from melting at how nervous and vulnerable his lady looked right now. He gave her a small, reassuring smile before pulling her closer. Ladybug gasped lightly before she swallowed nervously as Chat wrapped has hand around her petite waist and gently held their conjoined hands up. Ladybug’s hand automatically went up to his shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her, “I can.”

“Gah!” Ladybug couldn’t help but jolt slightly as Chat began to waltz around with her.

He let out a small laugh at her terrified expression. Her eyes drifted down to her feet in an effort to make sure she didn’t step on Chat’s as he began dancing them into the crowd of people.

“Eyes up LB,” Chat advised, “we need to make sure we dance as perfectly as possible so she doesn’t suspect.”

Ladybug gulped but did as she was told. Looking into Chat’s eyes was difficult. It was awkward, and she could tell that he was slightly uncomfortable too. Once again, she found herself hypnotised by his deep green eyes. There was something about them that just seemed so familiar to her sometimes, although she could never quite place it.

Ladybug felt herself beginning to trip slightly, though for once, she actually managed to right herself before anything drastic could happen. Alya’s advice swirled around in her head about just letting the music carry her. This time, she didn’t have to worry about impressing Adrien. It was just her and Chat, and she trusted Chat more than anyone else in the entire world.

Smiling slightly, she let Chat lead her while she followed, her moves becoming more graceful as she relaxed in Chat’s arms. Chat Noir certainly wasn’t kidding when he said he could dance. His movements were flawless, and Ladybug did her best to compliment him. Without seeming to notice what he was doing, Chat pulled her closer so she was pressed tightly against his chest, her head almost tucked under his chin, however there was still enough space for them to look at each other. Chat’s face was neutral and gave nothing away as they danced closer and closer to Dancing Queen. Ladybug wished they could stay like this. No fighting. No tension between them.

“So where do you think the akuma could be?” Chat Noir’s question jolted Ladybug out of her thoughts.

Ladybug did her best to subtly look over at Dancing Queen, who was twirling around. Ladybug’s eyes narrowed as people began dropping down in exhaustion, causing Dancing Queen to scream at them to get up and keep dancing. The poor exhausted people on the ground still wriggled around as Dancing Queen’s magic tried to force them to dance, making them look like they were having some sort of seizure. It was an awful sight to see and Ladybug knew she had to act fast.

Her eyes scanned Dancing Queen, taking in every detail of her attire, her mind ticking away as she tried to figure out where the akuma could possibly be hiding. When Mariana had been teaching the class, she didn’t appear to have any sort of object with her, so Ladybug speculated that it must be in something she was wearing. That’s when Ladybug looked down. Her dancing shoes. _Of course!_  

“I think I might know where the akuma is.” Ladybug let out a small triumphant smile.

“Where?”

“Her dancing shoes.”

“Makes sense.” Chat Noir smiled and began twirling them faster towards Dancing Queen who then noticed them. She gasped and smiled at their dancing.

“Excellente!” She cried out, and Chat and Ladybug merely smirked at each other, subtly nodding at each other.

Closer and closer they danced, all the while Dancing Queen gushed at their talent, entranced by their perfection. A purple butterfly appeared in front of her eyes, however whatever Hawkmoth was ordering, she appeared to be ignoring it. She clasped her hands together, raising them next to her cheek. She was obsessed with perfection, Ladybug thought to herself. This was their chance.

“Now, Chat!” Ladybug shouted, and Chat nodded, letting go of her before ducking down and swiping his leg across the ground, tripping Dancing Queen up, thankfully knocking the weapon out of her hand in the process.

Ladybug seized her chance and grabbed hold of the villain’s feet, tugging her shoes off before tearing at the fabric.

“No!” Dancing Queen screamed as a dark purple butterfly began fluttering away as fast as it could.

“Oh no you don’t!” Ladybug smirked, swinging her yo-yo and expertly catching the butterfly, de-evilizing it.

Everyone then immediately stopped dancing and began cheering for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Everybody looked exhausted, and instead of crowding around Ladybug like they typically would do, they began heading home, likely for some much-needed rest.

Mariana groaned, placing her hand on her head and looking around in confusion.

“What happened? Where am I?”

Ladybug placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear your dancing class didn’t work out.” Ladybug wished she could apologise for what had happened during that class, however she was worried that would be too much and give her identity away.

Mariana sighed. “I suppose Mr Damocles is right. I would be better tutoring more experienced dancers. I expected too much of those students.”

Ladybug smiled as Mariana thanked her and went on her way. She then turned around to a once again glum looking Chat Noir, and held out her fist to do their typical end of battle fist bump.

“Pound it?” Ladybug asked, slightly fearful.

Chat Noir refused to meet her eyes again, his black ears drooping slightly as he crossed his arms loosely over his chest, a melancholy expression on his face as he gazed out into the distance, looking anywhere except at Ladybug.

Ladybug sighed and lowered her hand slowly before rubbing her other arm up and down awkwardly. She bit her lip, screaming at her brain to think of something to say to make this all better. Unfortunately, her brain was spinning, unable to pause on one coherent thought for even a millisecond. But she had to try. For Chat’s sake she had to try and make this right.

Panicking at the sight of Chat about to take off, Ladybug instinctively grabbed hold of his hand, causing him to freeze and stare at her with wide eyes.

“Chat, please don’t go,” she begged, her voice beginning to shake slightly, “I need to talk to you.”

“I don’t have anything to say,” Chat mumbled, looking away again, trying to pull his hand out of Ladybug’s grip, but for once, Ladybug refused to let go.

“I think we both know that’s not true.” Ladybug sighed sadly. “Shall we go somewhere more private?”

Chat Noir didn’t say anything as he began to frown, unsure whether to take Ladybug’s request.

“Please, Chat? Then you can shout and scream at me all you want. It’s no less than I deserve. I just want to fix this. You’re my partner. My best friend. I can’t stand this. We need to sort things out,” Ladybug babbled, staring at Chat intensely, begging him to agree.

Chat then sighed, gently coaxing his hand out of Ladybug’s. This time she relented, letting his hand go before closing her eyes and looking down sadly, expecting Chat to take off.

“Okay,” he muttered, and Ladybug’s head snapped back up, a shocked expression on her face.

Without saying another word, Chat took off, and Ladybug wordlessly followed, mentally preparing herself for what was about to come. She told Chat that he could shout and scream at her all he wanted, and Ladybug began bracing herself. For him, she would take it all. She had hurt him, and so she expected nothing less.

Chat then came to a sudden stop on a tall rooftop overlooking the city. He kept his back to her as the breeze began to pick up. A storm was forming in the distance with small rumbles of thunder barely audible over the loud Parisian rush hour traffic. Ladybug continued to watch his back, waiting for him to say something, but he never did. His posture was stiff, as if the words were trapped in his throat, so Ladybug decided it was best if she said something; the awkward silence between them was slowly killing her.

“Chat…” Ladybug managed to choke out, her voicing breaking slightly, betraying her fragile emotional state. “I-I’m so sorry. P-please just say something. Shout at me. Scream at me. I know it’s probably what you want to do. I deserve it.”

Chat’s shoulders slumped, and he let out a loud sigh, though he still didn’t turn around. “My lady, I don’t want to scream and shout at you.”

The corners of Ladybug’s lips tugged upwards slightly into the ghost of a smile at hearing Chat’s most affectionate nickname for her. However, her momentary joy was short lived after hearing his next words.

“And honestly you clearly don’t know me that well at all if you think I would do something like that.”

Ladybug bit her lip and looked down, beginning to tremble slightly. “It’s no less than I deserve though.”

“No, Ladybug, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is.”

Chat sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose at her stubbornness. “I just…I just don’t understand why you felt like you couldn’t tell me something as important as this. The whole need to know only thing was stupid. Don’t you think that information, like the fact that there is a miraculous guardian living in the city and that he was the reason I became Chat Noir, is something that I need to know?”

“I –”

“Because I thought we were supposed to be partners, Ladybug?” Chat Noir finally turned around to face her. He didn’t look nor sound angry, just incredibly hurt and disappointed, and honestly that hurt more than if he had been angry at her.

Ladybug fought back tears, trying to maintain a level head and listen carefully to everything that Chat had to say. Clearly, he had a lot he needed to get off his chest, and Ladybug was willing to listen. No matter how much she wanted to breakdown, she knew she needed to handle this carefully. She couldn’t be selfish and let her own emotions consume her. Not when Chat Noir was hurting so bad because of her.

“I thought we were equals,” he continued, “we work together, and anything to do with the miraculous or Hawkmoth and the safety of Paris, we tell each other. I respect that you’re going to have secrets, and that you’re going to keep certain things hidden from me that might compromise your identity. I respect that you want to keep that a strict secret and I understand your reasons, but something like this is important. And I had to find out by accident. All because you got into serious trouble. It was pure chance that I turned to my kwami for help. What if I hadn’t? I wouldn’t have known about Master Fu and how he was the best person to help you. I could have put you in even more danger, and then I would have never been able to live with myself.”

Ladybug took a shocked step back at his intensity, and Chat seemed to realise that he had crossed some sort of line before he ran his hands frustratingly through his messy blond hair. His green eyes were wild, and Ladybug could almost see the visions that were presenting themselves before him.

“I’m so sorry, Chat,” Ladybug gasped out. “I promise I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Chat leaned against the chimney as another crackle of thunder rumbled in the distance.

“And I’ll need you to be straight with me from now on as well. No more serious secrets that involve superhero stuff.”

“I promise,” Ladybug replied quickly, holding her hand up while placing the other on her chest.

“So…” Chat began, “have you always known about Master Fu?”

Ladybug shook her head. “No, not from the very beginning. Apparently, I first met him when he chose me to be Ladybug, but I don’t remember that moment. I then met him again a few months later when my kwami got sick. He healed her, though my kwami nor him explained to me who he was. I just assumed he was a normal, albeit slightly naïve old man who thought he was healing some rare species of cat.” Ladybug chuckled at the memory before continuing, “But then I found something. Something my kwami deemed to be incredibly valuable. Some sort of miraculous artefact, and I had to take it to Master Fu who was the only person who could understand it. It’s what led me to believe that Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste, though of course I got proven wrong.”

Chat momentarily looked away before clearing his throat and meeting her gaze again., nodding for her to continue.  

“Of course then he could no longer keep it a secret. My kwami explained that he was the last guardian of the miraculous, and we kept in correspondence after that. He gave me advice and explained some of the powers of the miraculous, and why Hawkmoth might be after the ladybug and cat miraculous.”

Chat gasped. “And you never told me that crucial piece of information?!”

Ladybug placed her head in her hands, unable to meet his gaze, feeling unbelievably guilty. “I know, I know, I’m so sorry.”

Chat sighed. “Well, it’s done now, but please explain it to me now.”

Ladybug came out of hiding and took a deep breath. “When the cat and ladybug miraculous come together, the holder can become extremely powerful. They obtain an absolute power. Effectively they can bend the universe and nature to their will…to an extent…”

Eyes widening, Chat let out a low whistle. He briefly looked down at his ring before looking back at Ladybug with a confused expression on his face. “To an extent?”

“Possessing both the miraculous grants the holder a wish. However, that wish comes at a cost. See, the universe always has to find some way of balancing itself out. In order to get something, you have to give something. We think that Hawkmoth might be after that wish, however, we don’t know what he wants nor what the cost might be, which is why we can’t let him get hold of our miraculous. The effects could be devastating.”

“Wow…” Chat’s voice trailed off in amazement.  

“I know,” Ladybug responded, looking out into the distant storm before bowing her head slightly.

“Are these secrets the real reason you’ve been acting so strange lately?” Chat asked curiously.

Ladybug could feel the blush creeping up on her cheeks as she struggled to maintain the uncomfortable feeling of weirdness and embarrassment. Her dreams leapt to the forefront of her mind, screaming at her and swirling around, rending her unable to focus on anything else. She growled and tugged at her twin tails slightly before trying to take a deep calming breath.

“No,” Ladybug managed to reply, still looking away to hide her flushed cheeks. “I just haven’t been sleeping well.”

“That’s what you said last time and I’m not sure I buy it anymore.” Chat Noir eyed her suspiciously.

Ladybug gulped, frantically trying to come up with an answer. “Well, it is sorta true. I just keep having these strange dreams.”

Chat Noir shot her a strange look before his eyes narrowed. He was staring at her intensely, and Ladybug began to feel slightly self-conscious under his gaze. It looked like he was trying to do a difficult calculation in his head, but just couldn’t quite seem to grasp at the answer. He kept regarding her suspiciously, and Ladybug got the sense that it wasn’t to do with doubt over her answer.

“What?” Ladybug asked after he had been staring at her without saying a word for a little too long.

Chat Noir blinked, snapping out of his daze. “N-nothing.”

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at him before he flashed her a cheeky grin, letting her know he was back to his normal self. Grinning back, Ladybug felt herself beginning to relax, hoping that Chat was now feeling slightly better now that he was in the know.

“I promise no more secrets from now on,” Ladybug said softly.

“No more secrets, eh?” Chat winked. “So, about your identity?” he half-joked.

Ladybug laughed. “Nice try, Kitty.”

“Aww, man.” Chat Noir let out an exaggerated huff of defeat.

“Sorry, Chat, but it’s just too dangerous. The possible consequences of knowing who the other is just doesn’t bare thinking about,” Ladybug explained.

Chat Noir sighed, looking out at the storm that had now gotten closer. The thunder was louder now, and an occasional flash of lightening lit up the air around them. The atmosphere around them felt like static, and they both knew that they couldn’t be up here much longer, much to Ladybug’s dismay. Her heart then sunk as she took in Chat’s expression which had once again turned sad and longing.

“Is that why you kept all those secrets from me?” Chat asked quietly. “I honestly seriously wondered if you just didn’t trust or even care about me.”

Letting out a loud, hurt gasp, Ladybug stormed towards him, this time tears freely spilled from her eyes. Chat turned towards her in shock and worry just as Ladybug poked his chest with her finger.

“You listen here, Kitty!” Ladybug scolded, her voice breaking slightly as tears spilled down her cheeks. “Don’t you ever say anything like that! Of course I trust you! And I deeply care about you. You mean more to me than you could ever possibly realise, more than any stupid secret!”

Both of them froze.

A loud boom of thunder echoed through the sky above them, but they didn’t seem to notice. Their eyes drifted down to each other’s lips, and before Ladybug could even register what was happening, she curiously and slowly leaned in, a slight confused frown on her face. She gently licked her lips as Chat Noir also began slowly leaning down. Ladybug’s hands drifted up to Chat’s chest, her fingers gripping onto the leather of his suit, holding onto him tightly, frightened of them both drifting apart.

The agonising distance between them was finally closed as their lips unsurely met. Their lips moved together slightly clumsily at first, their eyes automatically closing. They instantly parted slightly, testing each other. The electricity between them pleasantly scolded Ladybug’s skin, as if she had just dipped her body into a boiling hot bath. Her lips tingled lightly, and it felt like the core of her body had ignited. She instantly found herself craving more.

With a slight hungry gasp, she closed the distance between them again, this time their lips met slightly more fiercely. Ladybug was still unsure exactly what she was supposed to do, so just let her instincts guide her. His lips tasted salty from her tears with the hint of his own intoxicating scent that Ladybug just wanted to drown herself in. Her dreams of kissing Chat Noir had not done him justice. This was better than anything she could dream of. It felt so right. His lips moulded so perfectly with hers.

It was then that Ladybug’s eyes snapped open.

_What was she doing?!_

Ladybug then abruptly pulled back, her eyes squinting in horror, unable to see past the blur of tears, though she could just about make out the many emotions that crossed Chat’s face; it was like watching a flip book. Happiness, confusion and most terrifying of all, a look of intense love and lust.

_What had she done?!_

Covering her mouth with her hand, Ladybug just about managed to squeak out a few coherent words despite the urge to sob uncontrollably. “I’ve gotta go.”

“No, Ladybug, WAIT!” Chat Noir called out, but it was too late.

As fast as the lightning that flashed above them, Ladybug had whipped out her yo-yo, and in another flash, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuun. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much for all of your support as always!


	8. Painful Rejection

Adrien sat miserably at his piano, his expression as depressed as the dark, heavy rain that was pounding against his window. His room was dark, only being briefly lit up by the odd flash of lightning, and the silence was only interrupted by the rumble of thunder that would soon follow as the storm violently crossed the skies of Paris.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Adrien loosened his tight grip on the edge of his stool before delicately brushing his fingers over the ivory keys of his grand piano. A lone tear trickled delicately down his cheek as he began to play a soft, melancholic song. The notes hung heavy in the air as if made of lead. It was haunting and longing, and soon, another tear leaked out of Adrien’s other eye. He closed his eyes in an attempt to prevent more from falling, instead concentrating on the music…the song he had composed for Ladybug.

He had always hoped deep within his heart that one day, when their identities were revealed, he could play this song for her in demonstration of his feelings for her. The whole fantasy had been planned out in his head. As soon as he knew who she was beneath that red mask, he could pursue her properly. He would take her out on the most romantic dates and make sure that she never went without; he would make her happy for eternity.

Her kiss…her kiss had given him hope.

The moment her lips collided with his, he felt as if his heart had grown beautiful angel wings and would soar out of his body, high above the city. Never had he ever felt so elated, so happy and so blessed. Because the most beautiful girl in all of Paris, the girl he had loved since they first met that fateful day battling Stoneheart, had kissed _him._

Her lips had been so soft, so unsure and vulnerable that he just wanted to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. Had that kiss meant that his lady had finally fallen in love with him in return? His heart was eternally offered to her on a silver platter, he only wished he had hers to fill the painful void in his chest. At last, it felt like that void was going to be filled.   

Any hope of that was soon squashed like an unwanted, pesky insect. It felt like the void in his chest had only been violently and gruesomely ripped open wider, making it more painfully obvious that he was without love in his life. Adrien’s chest throbbed painfully at the thought.

His lady had run away.

She had pulled back and run away.

Was Adrien really just that unlovable? Was he cursed to spend eternity lonely and unwanted? He tried to be a good person. He saved Paris on a daily basis, did well in school and tried his best to be nice to everyone. So why did he receive nothing but heart ache in return? It didn’t seem fair.

Adrien let the last note draw out, echoing around his large room. A bedroom that had everything any boy his age could want in life. But they were just things. It had everything apart from the one thing his very being was constantly reaching out and hoping for: Ladybug. If he could give up everything just so he could be with her, then he would do so in a heartbeat. His modelling career, his wealth, and all his things were nothing to him. After the disappearance of his mother, Adrien thought that he may never be able to be happy again. That was until he met Ladybug. She gave him hope for the future, and now she had just erased that.

“Look, kid…” Plagg’s unusually apprehensive voice interrupted Adrien from his thoughts. “I’ve been trying to keep quiet and let you get all of these mushy feelings out of your system, but is reminding yourself of Ladybug by playing the song you wrote for her really helping?”

Adrien said nothing as he continued to stare down at the keys in front of him. His eyes traced the outside of them, anything to keep him slightly distracted, otherwise he felt like he would completely fall apart. He had been so close. So very very close. But yet, still so far. Every step forward he seemed to take with Ladybug, he seemed to take another five steps back.

Ladybug certainly was an enigmatic, unusual girl. Then again, Adrien didn’t have much experience with girls in general apart from Chloé. Chloé had been his only source of contact with the outside world for the majority of his life as the daughter of one of his mother’s closest friends. His parents had always been incredibly protective of him. Why that was, he wasn’t so sure. That only got even worse when his mother had disappeared a few years ago, and his father turned even further into a paranoid recluse. Just what exactly was he being protected from? Adrien had always dismissed his parents as being just paranoid because of their fame, but he couldn’t help but wonder sometimes if there was more to it than that.

Then again, if it wasn’t for that, how differently might his life had turned out? Would he even have met Ladybug? His heart clenched tightly and painfully in his chest as the image of her tear stained face forced its way to the forefront of his mind. Adrien couldn’t help but recoil slightly, and this didn’t go unnoticed by Plagg.

“I could smack that girl,” he hissed with a hostility that Adrien had never heard before. Plagg was often too lazy to be angry.

“Well don’t!” Adrien hissed back. “Leave her alone!”

Plagg stared at Adrien in shock. “How can you still be so protective of her and defend her?”

“Because I love her!” Adrien cried out. He could feel his fragile resolve fracturing even more as even more tears leaked out of his green eyes.

Plagg frowned. “Well she clearly doesn’t love you so just get over her.”

“Shut up shut up shut up!” Adrien practically screamed.

He abruptly stood up, knocking the piano stool over with such force, the clatter sound echoed around the room. Adrien paced around his bedroom, unable to hold back his sobs any longer, crying into his hands before flinging himself onto his bed.

Plagg sighed before slowly hovering over to him, unsurely placing his little paw on Adrien’s exposed cheek, giving his holder a gentle tap.

“I’m sorry,” Plagg whispered, “I didn’t mean what I said, I was just trying to say anything that might help you snap out of it.”

Adrien sniffed, but otherwise said nothing, clinging onto his pillow for dear life. It was all becoming too much for him. Every loss he had suffered in his life. The lack of attention, lack of love and rejection. He didn’t know how much more he could take.  

“You’re right though Plagg,” Adrien finally managed to choke out. “Ladybug doesn’t love me.”

He could’ve sworn he heard Plagg let out a low growl, but he wasn’t too sure. Plagg began muttering something under his breath that Adrien couldn’t quite hear, possibly something about killing some sort of tikki, though at the moment, he didn’t really care. He just wanted to curl up into a ball on his bed for all eternity. At least this way, the people around him couldn’t hurt him anymore.

“I think Ladybug does love you,” Plagg finally said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

“W-what?” Adrien peaked out from the fabric of his pillow slightly to curiously watch Plagg who was frowning with his arms crossed tightly over his little chest. “If she truly loved me then she wouldn’t have run away.”

“She was also the one who made the first move. _She_ kissed _you,_ remember?”

Adrien couldn’t think of a response to that.

Plagg rolled his eyes. “She’s probably just confused. I know how you humans can get with your emotions and hormones sometimes. That’s why I stick to cheese. Cheese is so uncomplicated.”

Adrien sighed. “We’re not all simple gluttons like you.”

Plagg smiled as he saw a small hint of a smile tugging at the corner of Adrien’s lips. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Plagg quickly hid in Adrien’s shirt and Adrien sat up quickly, managing to wipe away all traces of tears from his face before the door opened and his father strode into the room.

Gabriel Agreste then stopped a few feet away from Adrien, his hands clasped tightly behind his back before he regarded his son, his grey eyes narrowing slightly.

“Shouldn’t you be practicing piano at this time?” his father asked sharply, the muscles on his face tightening slightly.

Adrien bowed his head before he mumbled, “I didn’t really feel like it.”

Much to his shock, his father’s eyes softened slightly as he took a few steps closer, though made no attempt to make any move to comfort his clearly upset son. Adrien gave up trying to hide it. He knew his father would only see through him anyway. He would just have to make up some sort of believable lie as to why he looked so miserable.

“I understand.” Gabriel’s voice become more monotone. “It is approaching the anniversary.”

Adrien pressed his lips into a tight line, bowing his head even more. He had been trying his best not to think about that too much, and his father’s reminder threatened to send him over the edge again. He placed his hands into the pocket of his jeans in an attempt to hide his clenched fists. If only his father would tell him what had happened, then maybe he could have slightly more closure. However, his father only revealed that she had gone hiking in the mountains of Tibet and she was never heard from again.

One thing that confused him more than anything was what on earth was his mother doing in Tibet? His father never answered that question. He remembered that after she wasn’t heard from, his father went searching for her personally while Adrien stayed in Paris. Though he did also remember the day his mother left for her journey. At the time, she had not said where she was going, just that she had some urgent business to attend to. His mother had looked extremely worried and left in quite a haste, unable to say a proper goodbye to him.

That’s what haunted Adrien the most. The fact he never got to say a proper goodbye.

From all the vague evidence he was able to gather, Adrien couldn’t help but come to the conclusion that his mother was likely…Adrien felt his stomach and heart drop at the very thought again. He could never bring himself to say, or even think of that awful finalising word.  

“We’ll get through it though.” Those words Gabriel spoke were supposed to be of comfort, though the monotone voice in which he spoke them did nothing to reassure Adrien.

He was always much closer to his mother than he was his father. Adrien felt like him and his father never bonded properly, and it was always a foreign feeling to Adrien whenever his father attempted a heart to heart talk with him.

Gabriel then sighed. “I _will_ fix this.”

Adrien’s head snapped up, looking at his father curiously. “How? You can’t erase the past.”

His father said nothing, his grey eyes merely staring back at his son before his eyes flickered to his hand and then back to his face again.

“We’ll see.” Gabriel murmured before speaking up again. “I will permit you to not practice your piano skills tonight. Though I expect you to spend an extra hour practicing tomorrow night.”

“Yes, father.” Adrien nodded obediently, his gaze drifting back down to the floor.

Gabriel nodded before making his way out of Adrien’s bedroom, closing the door behind him. Plagg wasted no time in flying back out of Adrien’s shirt pocket.

“Aw man, kid, I didn’t realise,” Plagg said, looking sadly at Adrien.

Adrien waved his hand dismissively. “It’s fine.”

Adrien heaved a sigh, making his way back onto his bed and collapsing onto his sheets once again, his limbs dangling off the edge as he gazed up at the ceiling, visions of Ladybug once again dancing across his vision. His lips tingled at the thought of their kiss, and he reached up to gently run his finger across them, wishing with all his heart that Ladybug had never pulled away.

He could have stood there forever, kissing her for eternity. He wondered if he shouldn’t have let her run off. Make her face what had happened between them and discuss it properly. But it had all happened to fast. He had no chance in grabbing hold of her before she fled. He was still just as confused and taken aback as she was that he had no time to properly register what was going on.

Plagg sighed. “Look, just give Ladybug some time.”

Adrien shot Plagg a glare. “I know you don’t mean that advice.”

Plagg merely shrugged. “I’m trying my best here, but you humans just make things so much more complicated than they need to be.”

“Clearly you’ve never been in love,” Adrien huffed as he picked up his pillow and dumped it over his face, hiding himself from the world.

“Of course I’ve been in love. I love swiss –”

“Yeah yeah yeah, I’ve heard it all before,” Adrien interrupted his kwami before turning over and curling into a tight ball.

Plagg shot Adrien a sympathetic look, floating down to sit on top of the pillow Adrien was currently hiding his face in.

“Things will work out, kid. You’ll see,” Plagg reassured. “In the meantime, I suggest you keep your eyes open. Your true love might be _closer_ than you think.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Plagg let out a low growl, frowning straight ahead. “You really are a hopeless case.”

~~

Marinette lay in bed, curled into a tight ball, her fingers gripping the edges of her pillow that she had pressed on top of her head. Her heart had yet to quit pounding in her chest after what had happened hours ago. Her room was now dark. Though the storm appeared to have blown over, the rain continued, pattering against her window and roof as if the weather itself was reflecting her very mood.

Tears continued to streak down her cheeks, though she had managed to calm down the majority of her sobbing. Her throat felt dry and like it was trying to close up and choke her, as if a boa constrictor had wrapped its coils around her neck, trying to suffocate the life out of her. Marinette had not spoken a word since it happened, and she could feel Tikki’s worried eyes watching her.

Tikki had spent the last few hours trying to talk to Marinette, though her holder had been actively ignoring her. Eventually, her kwami had given up and just watched silently, hoping that Marinette would snap out of her shocked state soon and face things.

Another hour ticked by and Marinette hadn’t moved. She remained frozen and tense, as if braced for an impact that was never going to come. The only movement that was visible was Marinette’s laboured breathing as she continued to struggle to calm herself down. Tikki sighed and cautiously floated closer towards her holder, hoping that seeing her movement might snap Marinette out of it slightly, but no such luck. Marinette continued to lie there, frozen and unmoving.

Tikki then frowned, deciding to try and talk to Marinette once again. “Marinette?”

No response.

“Marinette, you can’t lie there like that forever,” Tikki said, floating even closer to try and see if she could see any hint of Marinette’s face under her pillow. “Everything is going to be okay, there’s nothing wrong with having feelings for Chat Noir.”

This seemed to snap Marinette out of her catatonic state. She flung her pillow off her face and glared menacingly at Tikki. Tikki was taken aback; this was not like Marinette at all.

“I do not have feelings for Chat Noir!”

“Okay okay, shhhh,” Tikki tried to soothe her emotional holder. “Your parents are asleep remember.”

“I don’t even care anymore,” Marinette choked out as she turned around to face the wall.

Tikki gasped. “Oh Marinette, you and I both know that’s not true.”

“I cheated on Adrien, Tikki,” Marinette whispered, her tone incredibly pained, before she shot up into a sitting position and tugged at her hair. “I. Cheated. On. Adrien.” She then smothered the pillow against her face and screamed into it before her screams morphed into sobs.

“You haven’t cheated on Adrien, Marinette, you’re not even with Adrien.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Marinette sobbed as she clumsily rolled back over, lying down on her bed with her pillow covering her face.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that.” Tikki sighed. “You might have a crush on Adrien, while at the same time, you have feelings for Chat Noir.”

“I do not!” Marinette hissed, peaking out from behind her pillow to glare at her kwami.

“So why did you kiss him then?”

Marinette lay there speechless. “I…I don’t know.”

Tikki gently reached out and brushed her holder’s black hair to the side and soothingly stroked her forehead. This seemed to tip Marinette over the edge again as she started crying into her already tear soaked pillow. Marinette couldn’t believe that she had been so careless and thoughtless. She had no idea why she had kissed him, but she was horrified at the thought.

She wondered what Chat Noir would possibly think of her now. He would probably want nothing to do with her ever again. Who just randomly kisses one of their best friends like that? But yet…he had kissed her back. What did that mean? Marinette always had an inkling that Chat might have some sort of small crush on her, but she was never one hundred percent sure as Chat seemed to flirt with any girl he came across.

 _Oh no!_ What if it was true and he did have a crush on her? Now Marinette had given him false hope.

Letting out a scream that was muffled by her pillow, Marinette curled into an even tighter ball, wishing that she could just disappear right this second and never have to face anyone ever again. That would suit her just nicely. Just as she had made things up with Chat, she had to go and ruin it by blurring their relationship, possibly confusing and hurting Chat even more in the process. Marinette just couldn’t seem to do the right thing lately.

“Marinette, you need to talk to him about this, you can’t just ignore it.”

Marinette sighed. “What’s the point? I’ll only end up screwing things up again. Chat Noir is better off without me.”

“Chat Noir needs you Marinette. You’re a team and you need to remember that,” Tikki explained.

“I’m so confused, Tikki.”

Tikki had never heard Marinette sound more vulnerable and lost in all the time that Tikki had known her holder. It was awful to see her Ladybug breaking apart like this, but honestly, it was par for the course with many ladybug and cat miraculous holders. Tikki had hoped she would be used to it by now in all her thousands of years in dealing with humans, but it still broke her heart anytime she saw one of her holders in pain. Humans were so complicated, but Tikki wanted to do her best to provide her wisdom and help her holders out.

“I know Marinette, but unfortunately there’s only so much I can help you with. This is something you have to figure out on your own. But what I will say is that you can’t ignore this. You need to talk to Chat.”  

Marinette whimpered, but she knew Tikki was right. As soon as she could tomorrow, she would force herself to face Chat. They both had patrol together tomorrow night, and Ladybug was hoping that Chat would show up. Then she could apologise for her stupid behaviour and hopefully save their friendship.

Marinette was sure that it was just her dreams that were messing with her head. There was no way that she was in love with Chat Noir. She loved Adrien, and you can’t be in love with two people at the same time. Marinette liked to think that she was a better person than that. Though her actions these past few days had proved her wrong. She had been horrible and selfish at the cost of Chat’s feelings, and Marinette really needed to learn from this. As a superhero, she needed to hold it together better. Not only for her own sake, but for Chat’s too. She had played with his feelings too much lately.

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Marinette announced nervously and Tikki smiled.

“Good. I believe in you Marinette.”

Marinette managed to crack a small smile at her kwami before turning over to try and get some sleep. Just as Marinette closed her eyes, they were suddenly startled open again by the blaring of her alarm. Quickly turning over again, Marinette silenced her phone and groaned, rubbing her face with her hands as she realised that it was in fact starting to get light in her room. In her state, she had completely lost track of time and now she begrudgingly had to face the day with no sleep at all on top of having had little sleep the few nights before.

“Morning already?” Even Tikki seemed astounded.

Marinette groaned again as she sat up. Her eyes were heavy, and her head pounded slightly after having spent most of the night crying. With a sigh, she got out of bed and did her typical morning routine, once again making sure to cover her graze up with make-up. The stupid thing was taking forever to heal and still looked pretty nasty.

Afterwards, she quietly had breakfast with her mother who seemed to notice her daughter’s aura of sadness, but did not press Marinette on the issue which she was incredibly thankful for. Once she had finished breakfast, Marinette made her way downstairs, saying goodbye to her father who was busy making some pastries in the bakery, and for once, Marinette was in no particular rush as she was making good time.

Alya was already waiting for her outside, sitting on the steps leading up to the school’s main entrance. She was sat next to Nino, the pair of them hand in hand as they chatted and laughed together before Alya smiled and waved as she caught sight of her best friend. Marinette picked up her pace and made her way over, forcing a smile on her face as she greeted her friend.

“Wow, girl, you look even worse than yesterday,” Alya commented, pulling Marinette in for a quick hug.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I know, I just really haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“Aww, how come?” Alya asked sympathetically.

Before Marinette could come up with a lie, Nino thankfully interrupted.

“Looks like my bro’s arrived,” he announced as a the familiar posh silver car pulled up outside the school.

Sure enough, Adrien stepped out of the car, and Marinette couldn’t help but guiltily look away before he turned around. Her heart shrivelled up in her chest as a lump formed in her throat, and Marinette tried her best to hold herself together as she began drowning in guilty thoughts. She had cheated on Adrien. Sure, Tikki was right in that they weren’t together, but in Marinette’s head, it still counted. She was supposed to be in love with Adrien, and yet she had kissed Chat Noir. The thought nearly made Marinette choke, causing Alya to shoot her a concerned look before both she and Nino waved Adrien over.

Marinette peaked at him from underneath her eyelashes and she nearly gasped out loud at how awful he looked. He had dark bruises under his eyes which were slightly bloodshot, and his greeting smile at the three of them seemed strained. Honestly, Adrien looked as bad as Marinette felt. She wondered why. The thought of Adrien hurting pained her, and she shuffled through her brain to try and think of something to say.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t get a lot of sleep again either?” Nino asked incredulously. “Honestly, you and Marinette are just as bad as each other.”

Alya smirked and raised an eyebrow suspiciously, elbowing Marinette’s arm lightly. “It’s almost as if the two of you are up to something together in the dead of night.”

Adrien and Marinette both stared at her like deer caught in headlights, both of their faces turning bright red before they started stuttering, causing Alya to laugh.

“Relax guys, I was only joking.”

Marinette let out a small sigh of relief, mentally cursing her best friend. Adrien seemed to see the funny side though as he laughed awkwardly with her. Marinette forced out a chuckle, playing awkwardly with a loose strand of her hair that hung down in front of her pigtails.

However, everyone’s attention was soon caught by a black limo that no one had even seen before. It pulled up smoothly outside their school, and everyone watched in fascination as the driver’s door opened. Marinette wondered if they had another new student joining them. She hadn’t heard any rumours like that when Alya and Adrien were due to join their class, so maybe this would be another new surprise classmate for them.

A man soon stepped out of the driver’s door. A man who looked vaguely familiar to Marinette, though she couldn’t quite place it. He was dressed all in black, including a black bowler hat with black hair that he styled in a slick ponytail. As he stepped out, he ignored the stares of all the students and made his way down to the passenger door at the back before he opened it and held his hand out.

A small, pale hand with long fingers appeared to graciously take it, and a few people gasped as a rather beautiful looking woman stepped out. She was of medium height, quite skinny with thick wavy blonde hair styled in a bob cut. Her eyes were a gorgeous bright blue that sparkled slightly in the light, and she was dressed in stylish clothing: a knee length black pencil skirt that almost met her knee high black leather, high heeled boots, and she also wore a frilly white, long sleeved blouse that she had neatly tucked into her skirt.

Marinette certainly couldn’t help but admire her. The woman looked positively glamourous.

Mr Damocles was suddenly running out of the school’s entrance, towards the mysterious lady, who smiled as they leaned in to kiss each other’s cheeks in greeting.

“Ah Ms. Couture, I’m so glad you could make it,” Mr Damocles greeted, “it certainly is kind of you to hold this workshop for our students. Let’s just hope you have more luck than the last one we had,” he muttered that last part.

“W-wait.” Alya gasped, and her and Marinette both looked at each other with shocked expressions.

“Couture?” The two girls both said at the same time.

“As in Nina Couture? One of Paris’ top fashion designers next to Gabriel Agreste?” Marinette said, excitement bubbling in her voice.

“Creator of the Nina brand?” Alya continued.

“No way!” Nino laughed. “What’s someone like her doing at our school? I thought no one hardly ever saw her in person? She’s been rather on the quiet side for years now.”

“I don’t know, but isn’t this amazing?!” Alya squealed, and Marinette couldn’t help but squeal with her, her troubles momentarily stored away in her mind.

“Who’s Nina Couture?” Adrien asked, confused.

The three of them stared at him in shock.

“Dude, how can you not know who Nina Couture is?” Nino asked in shock.

“She’s only your father’s most famous rival in the fashion industry. Their competitions used to get _fierce_ ,” Alya explained.

Adrien frowned. “Then how come I’ve never heard of her?”

Their conversation was soon interrupted by the sound of Chloé’s shrill screaming. The screaming blonde girl ran down towards the limo with Sabrina trailing behind her. Marinette and Alya shared a disbelieving look before frowning at Chloé, watching as she pushed past Mr Damocles to stand in front of a stunned Nina. Nina then leaned on one foot, placing her right hand on her hip while looking at Chloé curiously.

“Ms. Couture, I’m a huge fan of your work,” Chloé began boasting, “it’s great to see you back in Paris. I’m Chloé Bourgeois, you may have heard of my father, the mayor, André Bourgeois.”

Marinette watched in shock as Nina’s face seemed to twist at the mention of Chloé’s surname.

“Oh, so you’re a _Bourgeois,_ are you?” Nina’s soft, high voice asked, sneering slightly.

Chloé nodded, flicking her blonde ponytail back.

Nina smirked. “Then I hope you don’t mind helping me with my bags then, seen as you’re such a big fan.”

Nina mockingly flicked her own hair back, walking towards the school’s main doors with grace and poise as Chloé stood there in a state of complete and utter shock. Alya, Marinette and Nino laughed as they watched the man who was dressed in black hand over some boxes and bags into the hands of Chloé and Sabrina. Steam practically hissed out of Chloé’s ears, and her face turned bright red in anger.

“Who does she think she is?! H-how dare she?! Just wait until I tell daddy about this!”

This made Marinette, Alya and Nino laugh even more while Adrien just stared down at the ground in confusion. Marinette then turned to watch Nina in fascination, almost transfixed by her perfect movements, the flow of her walk and the confidence in which she held herself. And of course, Marinette could not help but respect the way in which she had handled Chloé. It was good for someone to see exactly what Chloé was like right from the start rather than being taken in by her fake charm, or be fearful of her due to her father’s position.

As if sensing Marinette’s watching eyes, Nina turned and stared directly at Marinette. Marinette froze at the intensity of the woman’s gaze, and she felt a chill run up her spine, though she couldn’t figure out why. Maybe because she had been caught staring. However, Marinette couldn’t look away, their eyes remaining locked together as Nina climbed the school steps.

It was as if this woman had some powerful hold over Marinette, freezing her in place. Nina offered Marinette a small smile before she thankfully looked away, releasing Marinette from her captivating spell. Nina then disappeared into the school with Chloé and Sabrina following behind, their hands full of things and beyond annoyed expressions on their faces.

Marinette snapped out of her confusing trance as the laughter among her friends began to die down. Luckily none of them seemed to have noticed the bizarre staring competition that seemed to have taken place between the young hero and the mysterious, famous designer that seemed to be visiting their school.

“That was priceless,” Alya managed to gasp out as random fits of giggles continued to escape her.

“Too right,” Nino agreed as he elbowed Adrien, snapping him out of his fascination with the ground. “Dude, you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, just thinking,” Adrien responded, still frowning.

Alya laughed again. “This means this workshop we apparently seem to have with her should be hilarious. I think I’m going to like Nina.”

Marinette smiled, gazing back at the door she had disappeared behind. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your comments, kudos and bookmarks! It really means a lot to me!


	9. Identity Slip

Marinette sat excitedly in her seat as Miss Bustier finished the register. For once, she was actually genuinely excited for a workshop, and she hoped that things would go better than last time. To get to work in close proximity with a real fashion designer made Marinette giddy with anticipation. Sure, Gabriel Agreste had always been her favourite fashion designer, but she had always liked Nina Couture too, and Marinette hoped this would give her good experience and recognition.

This was Marinette’s chance to shine and impress.

“Okay class,” Miss Bustier announced, “we will soon have a guest coming into our class: Nina Couture, the fashion designer. I want you to all be on your best behaviour and be a positive reflection of our school.”

Alya smiled and shook her head as Marinette practically began bouncing in her seat. This workshop was going to be perfect for her; it was right up her street. Sure, Nina had given her a strange vibe, but Marinette chalked that up to her just being nervous around someone so famous. It did strike her as slightly odd though that this was the first time Nina had officially been out and about in public for a long time. Maybe she would explain that today? Nina Couture could almost be mysterious as Gabriel Agreste sometimes. Perhaps it was just a fashion designer thing.

“Now, let’s give Ms. Couture a warm welcome,” Miss Bustier encouraged as the classroom door opened.

Nina swiftly walked in, carrying a pile of boxes in her hands before placing them down on Miss Bustier’s desk.  The class watched curiously as she set them out neatly. Miss Bustier took a step to the side of the class, observing everything with a small smile on her face, before she walked out of the room, leaving Nina to her workshop.

Marinette giggled slightly when she caught sight of Chloé huffing and crossing her arms over her chest, looking away from Nina in disgust. Once she was finished arranging her boxes into a neat line, Nina clapped her hands together and smiled warmly at the class, her intense blue eyes once again briefly meeting Marinette’s, though thankfully they did not linger.

“It’s lovely to meet you all.” Nina’s soft musical voice filled the room. “I’m Nina Couture, though you can just call me Nina. I’m here today because I need your help.”

Many people in the class turned to look at each other in confusion.

Nina continued, “I have started work on my new autumn line, though I must confess, I find myself a little bit stuck. So, I thought, who better to turn to than my target audience for help: young people. I thought this workshop would be a great idea to teach you about the fashion industry for any who are interested, while at the same time, I can get creative ideas that will appeal to you guys.”

The class began murmuring to each other excitedly. Marinette struggled to contain her squeals of excitement. This was another excellent opportunity to show her ideas to the world, much like when she won the derby hat competition Gabriel Agreste had set, only this time it was even better. She would be working in close quarters with a real famous fashion designer. Marinette began to wonder if things were going to start looking up for her now after the string of bad luck that she had had the past couple of days. 

“I’ve brought with me plenty of sketching paper, pencils, paints, you name it, and feel free to be as creative as possible,” Nina explained, tilting one of the boxes slightly so the students could see what was inside.

Rose raised her hand.

“Yes, sweety?” Nina asked.

“Does that mean we can design anything we want? And it could be a part of your autumn line?”

Nina smiled. “That’s exactly what it means.”

The classes excited murmuring increased. Marinette turned to Alya with a bright smile on her face and Alya smiled back in encouragement.

“Girl, this is perfect for you,” Alya whispered happily. “Your designs will totally make it into her line for sure.”

Marinette let out a quiet squeal, clasping her hands under her chin and tensing slightly in an effort to contain her excited fidgeting. Nina began walking around the classroom, handing out paper while telling students that they could get up and get any materials they wanted out of the boxes. Once she had gotten her sheets of paper, Marinette immediately went to work, using her own artistic pencils and sticking her tongue out while she worked her magic. She wasn’t too sure what she was going for at first, though her musing was interrupted by something that Nino said which caught her attention.

“Hey, Ms. Couture, you’ll never guess who this guy is,” Nino laughed as he pointed towards Adrien who was sat there glaring at Nino. Nina had just handed them their paper and looked between Nino and Adrien curiously, waiting for Nino to continue.

“Adrien Agreste,” Nino chuckled, and Adrien sighed in annoyance. “Son of Gabriel Agreste.”

Nina stiffened slightly. Her smile remained on her face, though it was slightly more rigid, and Marinette watched her curiously out of the corner of her eye. Nina then seemed to unfreeze herself before she offered Adrien a warm smile.

“Ah yes, I see it in the eyes now,” Nina said, taking a good look at Adrien with slightly narrowed eyes. “My my, you have grown. The last time I saw you, you were a tiny baby. And now you’re working for the competition.” She laughed slightly at her own joke.

Adrien regarded her curiously. “You know, my father has never really mentioned you.”

Nina sighed as she began returning to the front of the class. “No, I suppose he hasn’t.” She appeared to mumble her answer more to herself than to Adrien.

Adrien and Nino exchanged a curious glance before getting on with their work.

Marinette chewed on the end of her pencil, every so often she glancing in Nina’s direction. She was leaning back against the desk, appearing to be lost in thought, her dazzling blue eyes were fixated on the floor as a blank expression decorated her face. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, and soon enough, she seemed to snap out of her daze and began watching the class as they worked. Marinette took that as her cue to look away and get back on with her work. It did strike her as odd that Adrien did not know who Nina was, however, she easily explained it away as being a result of Adrien having been locked away from the world for most of his life and having little to do with his father. For that reason, maybe it had just never come up in conversation.

Shaking her head to snap herself out of her thoughts, Marinette began concentrating harder on her designing. In her creative improvisation, she had ended up designing a jacket, perfect for the autumn breeze. She themed it around the changing colour of the leaves, dipping her paint brush into the red water colour paint, unknowingly getting some on her face in the process as she tapped her cheek with the brush end as she pondered where the pockets should go on her design.

Marinette was so enveloped in her work that it made her jump slightly when a shadow suddenly began blocking out her light. Sensing immediately who it was, Marinette looked up to find Chloé looking down and sneering at her design.

“Like anyone is gunna wanna wear that,” Chloé teased. “Everybody knows that pink is the new red.”

Marinette glared at her before getting back to painting. “It’s supposed to be autumn themed Chloé,” she explained, “I thought everybody with at least one brain cell like you could have worked that out.”

“What did you just say to me?!” Chloé snapped. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you laughing at me earlier.”

Marinette couldn’t help but let a giggle escape her lips. “Well, it was pretty funny seeing you get knocked off your pedestal.”

Chloé let out a screech of frustration before grabbing hold of Marinette’s cup of paint water and throwing it all over her. Marinette gasped as she registered what had just happened as the entire front of her body was soaked. Standing up slightly and gasping for air under the small water that cascaded off her hair, Marinette then watched in horror as some of the water dripped off her and onto her design, ruining it. Tears began welling up in her eyes, though she bit them back. She could feel everybody’s eyes in the class on her, and Marinette had never felt so humiliated. All the while, Chloé laughed at what she had done.

Before Marinette could retort, she froze when she caught sight of Nina abruptly storming up behind Chloé, her face in an almost thunderous rage with some acrylic paint gripped tightly in her hand. Much to the class’ shock, Nina squirted the red paint into Chloé’s hair, causing the girl to scream. Before Chloé could turn around, Nina dumped the paint tube into the confused hand of Sabrina, who looked down at the paint in shock before looking back at Chloé with fear in her eyes just as she caught sight of the paint in Sabrina’s hand.

“You!” Chloé screamed as Sabrina began stuttering and taking automatic steps back, away from Chloé’s fierce rage.

The whole class burst out laughing, and Nina shot Marinette a sympathetic look. Chloé turned back to glare at Marinette before her face turned to one of disgust as she caught sight of something on Marinette’s forehead.

“Ew, Marinette, what’s the gross thing on your forehead?” Chloé laughed.

Everyone’s eyes then went to Marinette’s forehead, and Marinette gasped as she realised that the water must have washed off some of her make-up. Mentally cursing and going into panic mode, Marinette quickly covered her graze with her hand, her panicked eyes flicking to Adrien who sat there with a beyond terror-stricken expression on his face.

 _Please don’t figure it out, please don’t figure it out,_ Marinette mentally begged as Adrien remained frozen and staring at her with eyes wide as saucers.

“Marinette?” Nina’s soft, calm voice interrupted her internal panic. “Would you like to be excused to clean yourself up?”

Marinette said nothing and merely nodded, not trusting her own voice. Chloé scoffed and stormed towards Nina before pointing towards the door.

“I demand to be excused to clean myself up too!” Chloé bossily commanded.

Nina titled her head to the side. “I don’t see anything wrong with you. Red is the new pink after all.”

As the class erupted into laughter, Marinette dashed out of the room as quickly as she could, running towards the nearest bathroom before anyone could see her. Gulping back sobs of embarrassment, Marinette gripped the edges of the porcelain sink before finally managing to force herself to look in the mirror. Sure enough, her large forehead graze was perfectly visible above her terrified blue eyes. She was dripping wet, the water possessing a slight red hue from her paint.

Marinette began running the hot water tap and splashed some over her face. The warm water felt nice on her skin after just having been drenched with cold water. However, Marinette soon jumped as she heard the bathroom door open before she relaxed instantly when she saw it was just Alya.

“Nina let me come and see if you’re okay,” Alya said softly, stroking her friend’s damp shoulder.

“I’m used to Chloé’s bullying by now.” Marinette sighed sadly.

“I tried to save as much of your design as I could, unfortunately much of the lower half of the paper is soaking wet,” Alya explained as she handed Marinette some tissues.

Marinette sighed as she began dabbing the tissues on her shirt in an attempt to get rid of the damp stains that now adorned her. Luckily, it was only water colour paint and would easily wash out. Marinette then looked back in the mirror at her dishevelled face, her bangs turning frizzy after having been soaked.

“And what on earth did you do to your forehead, Mari?” Alya finally asked.

Marinette shrugged. “I just banged my head. It looks worse than it is.”

“I’ll say,” Alya whispered before speaking up, “why did you cover it up?”

“Because it’s embarrassing,” Marinette half-lied.

Alya rolled her eyes. “You really are something else, Mari.”

Marinette couldn’t help but smirk before she gave up trying to dry her shirt off with tissues and instead just made her way over to the hand dryer. She pressed the large silver button and stretched her shirt up, away from her skin and held it under the warm air that came blasting out, all the while struggling to pay attention to what Alya was talking about over the noise of the hand dryer. In the end, Marinette gave up and figured that she had done the best that she could.

“Do you have any foundation?” Marinette asked Alya as she went to stand back by the mirror, poking her graze in annoyance.

“Yeah, but it’s for my skin tone,” Alya said as she reached into her jean pocket and pulled it out.

Marinette took it regardless. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll make it work somehow,” she explained as she gently squeezed a tiny pea-sized portion onto her finger.

It was a lot darker than her skin tone, but honestly Marinette would rather have a darker patch of skin than have her graze on full display, lest it make Adrien connect the dots and expose her as Ladybug. Doing the best she could, Marinette decided it was the best result she was going to get after she had finished covering her graze, trying her best to blend it with her skin. Gratefully, she handed Alya her make-up back and the two began making their way back to class.

Everyone was back to work when they returned. Amusingly, Chloé still had red paint in her hair which hilariously contrasted with her pale blonde locks. Marinette and Alya wordlessly sat back down, and Marinette sighed sadly at her now ruined design. Alya handed her a spare piece of paper, though Marinette couldn’t bring herself to concentrate anymore. She found her eyes once again being drawn back to Nina who was back leaning against the desk. The fashion designer offered Marinette a brief reassuring smile before glaring back at Chloé, keeping her eyes on her.

The class soon began talking amongst themselves again, and Marinette jumped when Adrien turned around towards her.

“Hey, Marinette,” he greeted with a strained smile on his face.

“H-hey,” Marinette nervously stuttered out her reply.

“I hope you’re okay? Sometimes Chloé has a hard time controlling her temper.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes at that. She loved Adrien with all her heart, but he could be very naïve when it came to Chloé sometimes.

“If you say so,” Marinette finally replied through clenched teeth.

“How did you get that graze? It looks pretty nasty.”

_Oh no._

“I…ummm…fell.” Marinette raked through her brain, trying to think of a good, believable lie. “I f-fell from my b-balcony and landed on my floor in my room,” she replied slowly and cautiously.

Adrien narrowed his eyes. “Oh. Well, I hope you’re okay?”

Marinette bit her lip and nodded her head a bit too enthusiastically. _Phew, he seems to have bought it,_ Marinette thought to herself, feeling relieved. Adrien stared at Marinette with slightly narrowed and confused eyes for a few more seconds before her turned away, and Marinette released a breath she didn’t realise she was holding.

“What was all that about?” Alya whispered, and Marinette merely shrugged in response, once again not trusting herself to speak.

For the rest of the class, Marinette was unable to get any work done, instead simply sitting at her desk with her head in her hands. It looked like she had spoken too soon about her luck beginning to turn for the better. She just hoped that this wasn’t a bad omen for the rest of the day and that her talk with Chat Noir later would go well.

Soon enough, the bell rang, drawing Marinette’s attention away from the blank piece of paper in front of her. Well, that was it. Her chance to impress a famous fashion designer was gone. The thought caused Marinette to sigh sadly to herself.

Slowly, she began packing her things away just as other people had began making their way out of class. Alya had already left with Nino, and just as Marinette was making her way out of the door, her heart thudded to a painful stop in her chest when she caught sight of Adrien standing in the corridor a few feet away, staring at her. It looked like he was waiting for her, and Marinette gulped before a voice behind her made her freeze.

“Just a sec, Marinette, I was hoping to have a quick word with you,” Nina called, and Marinette, thankful for the diversion, turned around and closed the classroom door behind her again. She looked at Nina curiously as she sat down at Miss Bustier’s desk, shifting the boxes out of her view.

Marinette shyly stepped further into the classroom, standing a few inches away from the desk, biting her lip nervously.

“I just wanted to check if you were okay after what happened today. I was hoping this class would be a positive experience for everyone. It’s my first time teaching young students you see, and I feel like this was my fault.” Nina furrowed her eyebrows in worry.

Marinette’s head snapped up on shock. “Oh no, ma’am, it wasn’t your fault, it’s just Chloé has always had it in for me.”  

Nina nodded her head, looking down sadly. “I understand.”

“But thank you for sticking up for me though. Not many people, even teachers, would have done that.”

Nina smiled and waved a dismissive hand. “It was nothing. I’m used to her type.”

Marinette nodded awkwardly, unable to think of anything to say.

“And I’m sorry that you didn’t get to complete your design,” Nina apologised before tilting her head slightly. “Although, with a face like yours, I’m sure you won’t have to worry about designing. You could easily be a model for my company.”

Marinette blushed before furiously shaking her head. “That’s very kind of you to say ma’am, but I could never be a model. I much prefer working behind the scenes. I prefer the designing.”

“Oh?” This seemed to intrigue Nina.

“I even won a competition that Gabriel Agreste held a few years ago,” Marinette began to excitedly explain. “It’s my dream to work for his brand.”

Nina’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?” Nina then looked towards the door, before leaning forwards, closer to Marinette. “You have a face that seems trustworthy so I’m going to let you in on a little secret.”

Marinette raised her eyebrow in confusion, but stepped forward slightly, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“I would advise against working with Gabriel Agreste.”

“Huh?”

“The man has no vision. He just takes credit for everybody else’s designs; he merely just slaps his name on things. I, on the other hand, play an active role in my workforce. Despite my success, I still come up with my own unique designs and give credit to any people whose ideas make it into my brand,” Nina explained, slightly smug.     

“But…how could you have played an active role like you claim when you’ve been staying out of the spotlight for the last few years.” Marinette clamped her hand over her mouth when she realised what she had just said.

 _Oh no_ , what would Nina think of her now? She had just questioned and insulted one of the most famous fashion designers in all of France! This day just kept on getting better and better for Marinette. However, much to Marinette’s shock, Nina just laughed.

“You are a clever, observant girl.” Nina let out one last chuckle before resting her elbows against the desk and clasping her hands together. “I just like to do a lot of travelling. It’s how I get my best ideas. As a designer yourself, you should know how awful a creative block can be.”

Marinette nodded, smiling slightly before opening her backpack and taking out her sketchbook and flicking through all of her latest designs.

“I’ve been on a role lately.” Marinette smiled before it faltered slightly. “Though I just couldn’t concentrate earlier after what Chloé did.”

Nina reached her hand out. “Let’s take a look then.”

Nervously, Marinette slowly handed her sketchbook over. Nina seemed to all but snatch it off her as she immediately began flicking through, her eyes hungrily taking in all of the pencil and ink marks on the pages. A wide smile appeared on the woman’s face as she appeared totally engrossed by what Marinette had produced.

Marinette fidgeted self-consciously as she watched Nina’s face intently as her work was now on full display in front of a real, professional fashion designer. Marinette had always dreamed of this moment and thought it would be more exciting than this, however, now it was actually happening, her nerves swallowed her up. She had always been proud of her work, but now she couldn’t help but wonder if it truly was decent work. Was Nina smiling because she liked it, or was she just trying not to laugh at how awful it was?

Marinette was starting to go crazy at how quiet Nina was being. Abruptly, her internal panic came to an end as she was startled by Nina closing her sketch book before she place it down on the desk, beaming up at her.

“My, you have such amazing talent,” Nina gushed.

Marinette felt her face erupt into a red mask of embarrassment, and all she could do was let out a confused squeak.

“A talent that certainly shouldn’t be working for the likes of _Gabriel Agreste_ ,” she sneered his name. “You have a very promising talent that needs to be properly nurtured. You still have some improvements to do, but that can easily be solved with the proper training and trainer.”

Marinette’s stomach did a flip. Was Nina insinuating what she thought she was?

“I’m afraid I don’t understand?” Marinette managed to gasp out, a nervous, yet excited knot forming in her chest. She clenched her hands into fists at her side and sucked on her lower lip nervously.

“Hmmm,” Nina pondered, placing her finger under her chin, deep in thought, “you’re probably too young for a proper internship, especially since you’re still in full time education. So, how about I offer you a work experience placement?”

Instantly, Marinette felt like she had died and gone to heaven. There was no way that Marinette had heard what Nina had just said correctly. It was impossible.

“M-me? A w-work placement?”

Nina nodded. “I insist. I’d love to snatch up your talent before anyone else does. You have so much potential, and one day, I could make you a very famous fashion designer.”

It felt like Marinette’s heart stopped in her chest as she finally managed to register what Nina was telling her. It felt like all of her dreams were coming true! All that was missing was Adrien who would scoop her up into his arms and kiss her as they walked off into the sunset together.

This…this couldn’t be real. Stuff like this only happened in fairy tales, and now Marinette was getting the opportunity to work for Nina. Her head drifted up to the clouds and everything began spinning around her, and before she knew it, her knees had buckled slightly under her.

“Whoa!” Nina managed to catch Marinette’s arm, snapping her out of her daydream. “Are you okay?”

Marinette nodded enthusiastically before slamming her hands down on the desk in excitement. “Oh that would be totally awe –” She froze which caused Nina’s smile to fall.

“What is it?”

“I better ask my parents first, I wouldn’t want to do anything without talking to them first about it,” Marinette admitted, rubbing her arm. “I hope you don’t mind?”

Nina’s eye twitched but seemed to manage to force a smile onto her face.

“I understand. We can worry about the paper work later, but for now,” Nina said as she picked up her small leather hand bag, pulling out her purse before plucking a small business card from inside and handing it to Marinette, “here’s my card with my number and the address of our headquarters.”

Marinette’s eyes widened in amazement at the beautiful card she held in her hand. The card was a cream colour with a golden border, with Nina’s logo in the centre with all her details written in golden letters underneath. Sure enough, there was Nina’s number. She couldn’t believe it!

“Thank you,” Marinette managed to gasp out before looking back up at her, “I promise I’ll be in touch as soon as possible.”

“I hope you will.” Nina smiled. “I don’t want a talent like yours going to waste.”

Marinette beamed and carefully placed the business card in one of the back pockets of her backpack before grabbing her sketchbook and placing that back in her bag too. In the process, Marinette flicked some of her dark hair behind her ear, leaving her earrings on full display to the world. Unbeknownst to Marinette, Nina smirked when she caught sight of them, her eyes sparkling dangerously.

“Oh Marinette, what lovely earrings.”

Marinette gasped, covering her ears with her loose strands of hair again. Standing up straight and smiling awkwardly, Marinette couldn’t help but be a little unnerved, though she decide it was likely because she was just being protective over her miraculous.

“Erm, thank you,” Marinette squeaked out.

“Did you make those yourself?” Nina’s smirk didn’t fade, and Marinette couldn’t help but get the sense that she was being mocked or tested or something to that effect. Nina’s tone and sudden change in aura meant that Marinette couldn’t help but take an automatic step back.

“N-no, my…ummm…grandfather gave them to me.” Marinette wanted to slap herself for how bad she was at lying. “But I do sometimes make my own jewellery,” Marinette continued as she began slowly backing out of the room. “I better get going to my next class. It was nice talking to you though.”

Marinette made the mistake of looking Nina in the eye. Once again, her blue eyes were intense as she smiled warmly at Marinette, who once again found herself unable to look away. There could be such a commanding and intimidating aura around Nina sometimes, and she definitely used her dazzling blue eyes to great effect. That thought made Marinette slightly nervous, however she forced down her instincts that were screaming at her to _run._ To run away and never set eyes on this woman again. However, her instincts had no basis for telling her to run from this kind woman who had offered her a once in a lifetime opportunity. After all, Marinette’s instincts weren’t exactly known for their track record. She had been wrong about Gabriel Agreste being Hawkmoth after all.

“It was nice talking to you too,” Nina replied, “and don’t forget to be in touch.”

All Marinette could bring herself to do was nod as she finally backed out of the room, and she immediately felt lighter again once she was away from Nina’s presence. Marinette sighed as she shook her head to snap herself out of the weird state she had got herself into again, allowing herself to become excited once again about what had just transpired.

Nina had offered her a placement! She would get to work with a real fashion designer! Marinette couldn’t wait to tell her parents, confident that they would be thrilled at this amazing opportunity. But still, she wanted to talk to them about it out of courtesy.

However, Marinette’s excitement was soon replaced with sadness as she once again remembered Chat Noir and what she would have to do tonight before she could talk to her parents. Perhaps, almost worse than that, Adrien had indeed looked like he wanted to speak with her. The thought caused Marinette to gulp.

Had she just blown her cover?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your support! It really helps me out.


	10. In Another Life

To say Marinette was nervous when she entered the library for study period would be an understatement. Her palms were starting to sweat, and her heart was thumping loudly in her chest, to the point where she could feel it echoing in her ears. Marinette knew that Adrien would be here somewhere, and she wondered if he still wanted to talk to her, like he seemed to while staring at her in the corridor.

Normally, Marinette would be absolutely ecstatic and over the moon at the thought of Adrien wanting to talk to her. She should be currently doing backflips of happiness, squealing in delight at the fact her crush wanted to talk to her. However, this was no normal situation. Undoubtedly, Marinette had a similar graze on her forehead to the one Adrien would have seen on Ladybug; he was the one who had helped her and cleaned it after all. Apart from Marinette, no one would know that mark better than Adrien. That thought made her gulp before she snapped out of her daze, realising she had been standing stock still by the library's entrance the entire time.

Looking around the library as best she could, despite the many book shelves blocking her vision, Marinette breathed a sigh of relief when she realised Adrien was nowhere in sight. She noticed Alya and Nino in the corner spending some time together, so Marinette decided it would be best to leave them alone, as much as she didn't want to. Maybe they would be the perfect cover to prevent Adrien from asking questions if he bumped into them there. Then again, Marinette remembered, they were present when he had begun quizzing her in class earlier. Plus, what if Adrien wasn't fazed by their presence? Then Nino and Alya could also start to get suspicious.

Marinette tugged at her hair in frustration. There just seemed to be no way of avoiding this without avoiding Adrien for eternity. And _that_ she certainly couldn't bear to do. Not to mention it would just make her look even more suspicious.

Marinette had no choice.

She just had to face whatever questions Adrien asked her.

After all, he had no proper proof other than a graze that no one else had witnessed. Marinette frowned and grit her teeth as she practically stormed towards an empty table in the corner of the library, as far from everybody else as possible. This was all Chloé's fault. If that spoilt brat hadn't thrown water all over her then she wouldn't be in this situation.

As she sat down on the wooden chair, Marinette kept her eyes peeled, subtly looking around the room as best she could for any sign of Adrien. There still didn't seem to be any, and Marinette bit her lip nervously as she grabbed her textbooks out of her bag, despite knowing that concentrating on work would be the last thing she would be able to do.

As her hands began shaking nervously at the whole situation, Marinette's open pencil case went flying out of her hand, loudly spilling her pencils and pens all over the floor. A few other students looked at her in annoyance, and Marinette waved her hand apologetically before letting out a frustrated huff as she bent down to pick them up.

She was just about to reach out and grab the last pen off the floor when another, larger hand quickly snatched it up before she did. Blue eyes travelled up the jean covered legs to the back t-shirt with coloured strips in the middle, finally meeting green eyes. Marinette couldn't help but freeze, hypnotised by his very presence. She even forgot what she was worried and scared about in the first place. The world around them seemed to melt away as she gazed dreamily into his eyes.

That was until she was snapped out of her love-struck state by the sight of Adrien's lips moving out of the corner of her eye. Oh no, he was talking to her. Shoot, Marinette hadn't been paying attention to what he was saying.

"Erm…what?" Marinette shook her head violently in an effort to clear it.

Adrien seemed slightly startled by her actions before his eyes once again caught sight of her now covered up graze before he looked back into her eyes.

"I said, do you need any help?" Adrien spoke slowly, seeming very cautious as he held out Marinette's pen.

Marinette took the pen, consciously making sure that their skin didn't touch, lest it send her into another dreamy and weird state that might send Adrien running for the hills, or get her sectioned or something. She offered him a shaky smile, putting everything back in her pencil case, trying hard not to look him in the eye. Her hands continued to shake slightly and Marinette prayed that Adrien wouldn't notice.

"It's okay," Marinette finally responded, trying her best to keep her voice even and neutrally polite, "I think that was the last one."

Just as she reached for some of the pens that had spilled onto her desk, Marinette elbowed her pile of textbooks off the desk, and much to her horror, some of the bigger, heavier ones landed on Adrien's foot, causing the famous model to yelp slightly.

"Sorry sorry sorry!" Marinette gasped, becoming flustered as she quickly bent down to reach for her books at the same time as Adrien. This time, the two of them ended up violently head-butting each other, and both of them abruptly shot up, clutching their heads in pain.

"Sorry sorry sorry!" Marinette cried out again before a few people in the library shushed her.

Adrien let out a chuckle, rubbing his head one last time before placing his hand back down. "It's fine. Man, you sure are clumsy."

Marinette's face might as well have been renamed the red sea in that moment.

Adrien then cautiously held out his hands before smirking at her. "You, don't move, I'll get these," he jokingly ordered.

"Oh no, it's okay," Marinette insisted beginning to bend down at the same time as him again.

Adrien jumped back just in time, struggling to keep his laughter as quiet as possible. Marinette gasped as he gently gripped her shoulders and pushed her back up. The electric shock his touch left on her shoulders travelled all the way down to her heart, instantly jump-starting it, making it beat as fast as if she had been running a huge marathon. Marinette felt her breath get caught in her throat as she struggled to get her lungs to re-start after having the breath knocked out her by the thought of him touching her. It was official. Marinette was now never washing _both_ shoulders of her jacket as opposed to just the one.

"Stay," Adrien instructed as he smiled and pointed a finger at her.

Marinette saluted, and she wanted to kick herself for how cheesy and awkward she was for doing that. Adrien didn't seem bothered by it though as he was finally able to safely bend down and pick up her books for her. He stood up straight again, his posture perfect from being a model all his life, before placing them back on her desk, causing Marinette to smile up at him.

"Thank you," she managed to get out without stuttering. "Sorry about, well – umm – everything."

Adrien chuckled again. "That's alright, but at least now you have a bump on your head to match your graze." He watched her reaction carefully.

"Errr, yeah," Marinette replied awkwardly, letting out a fake giggle.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" Adrien asked, slightly pulling out the chair opposite her.

Marinette nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Oh, how she wished this was under better circumstances. Adrien offering to sit with her should have made her jump for joy, but instead a whirlpool of fear began to twist her stomach into knots. She quickly opened one of her books as a distraction just as Adrien sat down opposite her, dumping some of his books down on the desk.

Marinette could feel his gaze burning holes in the top of her head as she forced herself to stare down at her book. Her eyes followed the words on the page, however, she wasn't taking any of it in. Marinette tried her best to focus on anything that wasn't Adrien: the musty smell of the pages, the hushed talking of the other students in the library, the erratic beating of her heart, the hard wood of the table beneath the subconscious drumming of her fingers. All the while she could still feel Adrien's gaze on her.

"S-so," Adrien's stuttered, startling Marinette slightly, "been – err – a lot of akumas lately."

Marinette nodded, refusing to look at him.

"Let's just hope Ladybug will always be here to save the day."

This time Marinette couldn't prevent her head from abruptly snapping up to look at him. "And Chat Noir too," she found herself automatically correcting him.

Adrien's eyes widened slightly before his face quickly morphed back into a neutral expression. "So, you're a fan of Chat Noir, huh?" He seemed incredibly interested by this fact, the hint of a smirk tugging on his lips.

"Yeah." Marinette shrunk back in her seat slightly, forcing her eyes back down to her book before she hunched back over it. "He's pretty cool."

They remained in awkward silence for a few moments until Adrien cleared his throat.

"I bet that graze must have hurt."

"Why are you so interested in my graze?" Marinette asked innocently, calling his bluff.

Adrien seemed slightly taken aback before rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I-I just…I have a friend who has a similar looking injury."

Marinette had to prevent herself from gasping out loud. Her shaking became slightly more visible as her grip on her book tightened. He _was_ suspicious. Marinette wanted to smack herself for being so careless. She knew she needed to keep acting natural. As she had told herself earlier, this was the only proof he had, and it would be his word against hers. Out of everyone, she thought it would be Alya that she would have to watch out for the most in terms of exposing her true identity.

This was so awful. This could be putting the love of her life in terrible danger and all because of how reckless and careless she had been.

"I feel sorry for that friend then." Marinette forced out a slight laugh. "Though this really isn't as bad as it looks." She pointed to where her graze was.

Adrien looked down sadly. "I just hope my friend is okay."

Marinette did her best to smile reassuringly, despite the situation. It did touch her slightly that Adrien seemed to care so much for Ladybug's wellbeing. He was such a kind and caring person, and it made Marinette's heart flutter pleasantly as opposed to the fearful pounding she had become accustomed to for most of this morning. Adrien was so pure. So amazing… _snap out of it, Marinette!_

"I'm sure she's fine,” Marinette said, her grip on her book becoming so tight, it felt like she might rip it.

"What makes you so sure?" Adrien asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I –" Marinette froze, her eye twitching slightly. "I just…know what it's like to have that type of injury." Yeah, that seemed reasonable enough to her. "So I know she'll be fine."

Adrien's suspicious eyebrow lowered slightly before he smiled warmly at her. "You're a really sweet girl, Marinette."

"I-I am?"

"You don't think so?" Adrien seemed slightly confused.

Marinette slowly shook her head, staring hard at the diagram in her textbook. Images of Chat Noir assaulted her mind. The sound of his voice desperately calling out for her as she ran away after she had kissed him echoed in her head. Each syllable of his words was a painful stab to the heart. What made Marinette hurt even more was the thought that that pain was nothing compared to how Chat must be feeling right now, especially after how much she had toyed with his feelings this week. First was the whole ordeal with Master Fu and her secrecy about him and now this. Marinette wouldn't be surprised if he never wanted anything to do with her again.

The thought of never seeing Chat Noir again sent an unimaginable pain, that of which Marinette had never experienced before, shooting through every cell in her body. _Whoa, what was that all about?_ Marinette questioned herself. The aftershock of such pain still rocketed through every inch of her being, and Marinette unconsciously placed her hand over her chest in a feeble attempt to halt the strange, painful feeling. She then became painfully aware of Adrien staring at her curiously, and this quickly brought her back down to reality.

"All I seem to do is hurt the people I care about lately," Marinette whispered before she could stop herself.

Adrien blinked, his green eyes watching her judiciously.

The bell finally rang, and Marinette quickly packed all of her things away and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She refused to look at Adrien, worried about what might happen if she did.

"I better get going, see you later Adrien," Marinette quickly said, unable to bring herself to notice or care over how she had managed to say a long coherent sentence to Adrien without stuttering or becoming flustered.

Her mood was now soured, terrified of the conversation she might have with Chat Noir later that night or the prospect of him not turning up at all. Both outcomes were equally petrifying. For once, she couldn't bring herself to talk to Adrien any longer. She just wanted to be left alone. At least this way, she couldn't hurt anyone else. She just hoped she'd done enough to throw Adrien off her scent.

"No, Marinette, wait!" Adrien called out just as Marinette dashed off in a scene that felt all too familiar to the both of them.

Despite the urge to momentarily freeze, Marinette forced herself to continue walking away. Adrien didn't care much for her anyway, so why would staying matter? The thought caused what felt like a crack to appear in her already fragile heart, but Marinette knew it was the truth. Adrien would likely forget their conversation. Why should it matter to him that she was hurting? One of Paris' most famous models likely wouldn't have time to care about her problems.

Luckily, she didn't bump into Adrien for the rest of the day as he had to leave around lunchtime for a photoshoot. She hid behind the wall of the stairs to the main entrance, watching him as he glumly got into the car and sped off. It made her wonder what had him so sad. He had been looking tired and worn out these past couple of days. Marinette cursed herself, thinking she should have made the effort to ask him what was bothering him today, however she was too concerned with preventing Adrien from putting two and two together.

The rest of the day was incredibly slow, as if time itself was mocking Marinette, creating an agonising suspense leading up to her possible talk with Chat Noir. Her eyes were glued to the clock at the front of the classroom all through last period.

_Tick tock tick tock._

The clock echoed through the quiet classroom as everyone was forced to get on with their work. Marinette couldn't concentrate though. Her hands balled into fists on her desk and nerves bubbled about in her tummy as the excruciatingly long seconds ticked by.

Three…two…one…the final bell chimed at last, and Marinette wasted no time in packing her things away and dashing out of the door as soon as she could. She briskly walked home, knowing if she ran that she would trip and fall, and that was all she needed. Luckily, her parents were too busy in the bakery to say anything other than a quick hello to her, and Marinette made her way up to her room, safely sealing herself from the world when she closed her trap door behind her. She and Tikki didn't speak much. Marinette didn't mind though, and was grateful for Tikki allowing her some quiet time to think and calculate how she was going to approach things with Chat Noir.

What if he didn't turn up? Should she call him on her yo-yo and leave a message if he didn't answer? What should she say? What if he never wanted to see her again? And what would she do if he did turn up?

She knew she would need to provide Chat with an explanation, but she just couldn't think of anything valid. Her actions seemed to be nothing more than a spur of the moment slip of sanity, however, if she worded it like that, would it hurt Chat's feelings? There just seemed to be no way of doing this without hurting him in some way. Marinette was well and truly caught between a rock and a hard place. This was all her own doing too.

"Marinette, calm down, everything is going to be fine," Tikki's soothing voice interrupted her panic.

"I don't know what to say to him Tikki!" Marinette let out a cry of frustration before slamming her head down on her desk. Her stupid action hurt, but she couldn't bring herself to care in that moment. Marinette's brain was nothing but a pile of mush inside her head anyway.

"Just speak from the heart Marinette," Tikki explained, "you don't have to plan anything. That just adds too much pressure onto yourself. When you're in the situation, the words will come naturally to you."

"I don't want to hurt him," Marinette whispered, her eyes wide in horror.

Tikki sighed. "Sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest."

Marinette groaned, folding her arms across her desk and hiding her face in them.

"Is having feelings for Chat Noir such a bad thing?" Tikki asked.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Marinette mumbled.

Tikki frowned and floated down to tug on Marinette's exposed earlobe. "You might have been able to avoid a lot of things lately Marinette, but I will not let you avoid my question."

Marinette came out of her hiding place, glaring out of her bedroom window before flailing her arms wildly as she began to explain, "because…because it just won't be possible. I don't have feelings for Chat Noir; I love Adrien. I just got confused in the heat of the moment and my dreams messed with my head. It was my fault, I know, but that does not mean I have feelings for him. Besides, me and Chat…in a relationship? It just seems too weird. He's my best friend and nothing more."

Tikki sighed, settling on Marinette's shoulder as her face fell back into her arms. The closer and closer the time came for patrol, the tighter the knot in Marinette's stomach became. After her parents had called her for dinner, all she was able to do was pick at her food. Her parents had asked her if she was alright and Marinette managed to reassure them with the lie that her stomach was still feeling a little delicate after her illness the other day.

Thankfully, they seemed to believe her as they didn't force her to eat anything before taking her plate away to be washed. She helped them out as best she could before letting them know that she was heading to her room to do homework and would prefer it if she wasn't disturbed. Once her door was safely shut behind her, Marinette transformed and climbed up to her balcony before using her yo-yo to swing through the city, quickly arriving at their typical meeting place for when they patrolled together.

Taking a deep breath, Ladybug sat down on the tall roof and waited. The sky was clear, and the evening sun was warm against the exposed skin of her neck and face. Her blue eyes began scanning the view of the city in front of her, looking for any sign of a black attired superhero jumping over the city buildings towards her.

Nothing so far.

Ladybug sighed and began fiddling with her yo-yo, swinging it up and down just like a regular yo-yo. Her heart rate began to thump quicker and quicker the longer it took Chat Noir to get there. Maybe he had indeed decided not to come? The thought sent Ladybug into another panic, and the more time ticked on by, the more plausible that theory became.

He didn't want to see her.

Ladybug's head drooped in defeat, and tears welled up in her eyes as she stood up again and walked towards the edge of the roof. She was about to hook her yo-yo around the next building to fly off and start patrolling the city alone, when a voice behind her almost made her jump out of her skin.

"Running away again?" Chat Noir's voice was dull and lifeless behind her.

Ladybug slowly turned around to look at him. He was stood leaning against the chimney, his arms crossed over his chest as his green cat-like eyes gazed out into the city. His expression was tired, sullen and melancholic. His black leather cat ears drooped slightly, and his eyes were slightly narrowed.

"C-Chat?"

"You sound surprised to see me," Chat commented in a weary tone.

"I-I didn't think you were coming, I've been waiting a while," Ladybug replied, her heart in her mouth.

Chat shrugged apathetically. "I got held up."

Ladybug bit her lip, her stomach dropping to her feet at how depressed Chat was sounding.

"L-look Chat, I was hoping we could talk?"

He remained silent, his body tensing slightly.

"The…kiss…was a mistake."

Chat's head abruptly turned to glare at her. "A _mistake?_ "

Ladybug nodded. "And I'm really sorry."

"If it was such a mistake then why did you do it?" Chat snapped at her in a way that Ladybug had never heard before.

Ladybug felt herself take an automatic step back. "I…I don't know."

Chat strode towards her, causing Ladybug to back away, however, her attempts to put distance between them were thwarted by the roof coming to a sudden end, with nothing but a huge drop to the ground behind her. Chat extended his baton, reaching out to hook it behind her, pulling her shaking form away from the edge, and yanking her as close against his chest as possible.

Ladybug's breath caught in her throat as Chat boldly kept her pinned against him, his baton acting as a prison bar behind her, keeping her pressed tightly against his chest. Her heart skipped a beat, and her knees buckled slightly, though he easily held her weight as if she was light as a feather.

The fire Ladybug had felt inside her when they had kissed began to once again incinerate her insides, threatening to consume her. Her eyes automatically gravitated towards his lips, though this time, she forced herself to look away, staring down at Chat's chest instead, though Chat's eyes continued to burn into her head. Ladybug struggled against him, hoping to put distance between them once again, though Chat wouldn't budge.

"I don't believe that. _You_ kissed _me._ " Chat's voice was desperate. "You can't deny that what happened between us last night was something special and amazing."

"Let me go Chat," Ladybug ordered sternly, finally managing to glare up at him, purposefully ignoring what he had just said.

Chat glared back in astonishment, his grip tightening to a point where Ladybug could feel the metal of his baton digging into the small of her back.

"Not until you tell me the truth. I don't want you running away again," Chat begged before he smirked mischievously. "Do you not like being so close to me? Does it make you want to kiss me again?" He leaned in, tempting her slightly.

Ladybug's cheeks turned bright red, and her lips tingled at his invite.

_Yes, oh yes, she wanted to._

Ladybug gulped as her desire screamed at her, begging her to just cave in and give Chat Noir what they both wanted in this moment. But Ladybug reminded herself that she was not in one of her weird dreams at this moment. It was arduous, but Ladybug managed to silence every cell in her body that was crying out for Chat. Was this what Tikki had meant? Because every force in existence seemed to be screaming and pushing with all its might for Ladybug to give in and collide her lips against his once again, to satisfy that hunger, that craving.

No!

Ladybug remembered what Tikki had said about being master of her own destiny. She could do this, and in time this strange subconscious obsession she had with Chat lately would disappear.

"No, Chat," Ladybug finally managed to bring herself to answer, and his face fell, his grip loosening slightly. "Now let me go."

Chat immediately released her, and Ladybug immediately put as much distance between them as possible. Chat's knees trembled slightly as his baton returned to its normal size before he hooked it around his belt again. Ladybug bit her lip and looked away guiltily before taking a deep breath to speak.

"I'm sorry, Chat, but I really don't think of you like that. I just got confused in the heat of the moment, that's all," Ladybug did her best to explain.

Chat Noir sighed. "No. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put so much pressure on you and crossed your personal boundaries. I had no right. I thought…I really thought you –"

"I'm so sorry." Ladybug tried to contain her tears over how heartbroken Chat sounded right now. It seemed she had been right. He did have a crush on her. And she had given him the ultimate case of mixed signals. He really thought that she liked him back. What had she done?

"No, it's okay," Chat tried to reassure her, "it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is. I kissed you and gave you the wrong idea, and that really wasn't fair of me." Ladybug then began playing with her fingers nervously. "You see, I like someone else."

Chat's eyes widened slightly. "You're dating someone? Oh Ladybug, I'm so sorry, if I had known, I –"

Ladybug smiled sadly and began shaking her head. "No, I'm not dating anyone, I just love this guy, though I doubt he likes me back."

Chat blinked incredulously. "Then he has to be the most stupid person on the planet."

Ladybug couldn't help but giggle. "But I am hopeful for the future. It's partially my fault, all I ever do is make a fool of myself in front of him. I'm not the most graceful person when I'm not in my superhero form."

Chat Noir's eye twitched and he froze slightly.

"Chat, are you alright?" Ladybug asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Y-yeah," he squeaked out his reply before unfreezing, suddenly unable to meet Ladybug's gaze.

"Once again, I really am sorry, Chat," she sighed out as she approached him.

Chat's head finally snapped back around to look at her, and he shrugged his shoulders, though Ladybug could tell he was still really hurt and upset. She wished with all of her heart that she could wave a magic wand and make all of this go away.

But she couldn't.

Maybe one day, Chat could move on and find a nice girl who was more deserving than she was. If it wasn't for Adrien, maybe she would give Chat Noir a chance. He was very handsome and a lovely person, the best partner she could have ever asked for.

What would that even be like? Would they reveal their identities, despite the danger? What did Chat look like beneath the dark mask? The visions were dancing before Ladybug before she could stop them. Her, meeting up with a tall blond boy in Paris, going to see a movie together, having dinner together, introducing each other to their parents, and when duty calls, side by side they would fight. But that was another universe, and with that thought, the visions slowly vanished before her like smoke being blown away in an evening breeze.

As she drifted back to reality from her deep thoughts, Chat Noir smiled at her, and they both reached out and laced their fingers together. Ladybug smiled sadly at him, and both of their eyes glistened slightly as they gazed at each other.

"Another lifetime perhaps," Ladybug said, and Chat nodded sadly.

"I will gladly die a thousand deaths if it meant in one of those lifetimes I could be with you, my lady."

The intensity of Chat's words made her gasp, and her grip on his fingers loosened. Chat loosened his grip too, letting her arm fall gently to her side as she continued to stare at him with wide eyes. However, her frozen thoughts were soon thawed out by Chat's playful expression.

"Race you to Notre Dame." He laughed loudly and took off without giving Ladybug a chance to collect her thoughts.

The young hero shook her head, clearing her confused thoughts away before she giggled and took off after her silly kitty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, I almost couldn't get this chapter out since I've been having huge technical issues lately. But luckily, I managed to get my old laptop working. Thank you so much for all of your support like always!


	11. Strange Coincidences

"Oh no oh no oh no oh no, it can't be." Adrien paced his bedroom just as the sun set. He continually combed his fingers through his blond hair, tugging at the strands as his green eyes remained wide with fear.

Adrien had been doing this none stop since he got back from patrol with Ladybug. The young hero had never felt so many conflicting emotions at once. It was becoming too much to bear. When he had returned home, he had planned on breaking down about how right he was that Ladybug did not love him in return. She had referred to the kiss as a mistake, and that small word tore through his heart like Ladybug had just stabbed him in the chest.

He had played it cool in front of her as best as he could, as he didn't want her blaming herself for her lack of feelings for him; it wasn't her fault. Though maybe things would have been easier if she hadn't kissed him and confused him. However, she had now made it quite clear. She was in love with somebody else. And Adrien had to respect that as much as it pained him. Ladybug's happiness was the most important thing to him.

Despite wanting to break down over what had just transpired between them though, Adrien's brain seemed to have other ideas when he had returned to the seclusion of his large room. Everything that had happened previously in the day bombarded his mind. Every memory was like a fierce punch to the inside of his skull.

The mark on Marinette's forehead. The same mark Ladybug had received when she smacked her head against his floor a few days ago. Could…could _Marinette_ be Ladybug?

Adrien had recognised the graze on Marinette's head almost immediately, as soon as the make-up had begun running off her face. What made it even more suspicious was that Marinette had decided to cover the mark. Why would she feel the need to hide it? His clumsy classmate was often walking into school with bumps and scrapes and it had never seemed to bother her before. What made this time do different?

Unless she was worried he would recognise the mark.

That would be such a typical Ladybug thing to do; she was always on the ball with protecting her identity. If she had received an injury in her superhero form, then she would undoubtedly cover it up in her civilian form; Ladybug was very clever and careful like that. Except this time, Chloé had unwittingly exposed her.

Adrien had tried to hold a conversation with Marinette today to try and fish around a little bit, to see if she would slip up again. He needed more proof; a definite confirmation. However, Marinette had been very allusive, and Adrien didn't know whether to regard that as suspicious behaviour or not. Marinette was well known for her strange, erratic and awkward behaviour so reading her was difficult.

What confused him though, was that she was never really like this as much when she spoke with him when he was Chat Noir. It was just when he was Adrien. Did this mean…Marinette still hated him after all this time due to the chewing gum incident? Was that why she stuttered and was awkward around him? Because she secretly hated him but was just trying to be polite? That thought stung Adrien more than he cared to admit for some reason.

"Kid, if you don't stop pacing, I'm gonna gnaw your legs off," Plagg hissed from his curled-up position on Adrien's pillow. The little cat kwami was currently stuffing himself with camembert, occasionally glaring in Adrien's direction as his holder continued to annoyingly pace, practically tearing his hair out.

"Plagg, Marinette had the exact same mark on her head as Ladybug!" Adrien gasped out, his pacing getting faster.

Plagg merely rolled his eyes as he scoffed another block of cheese.

"I mean, I just don't understand how that could be possible!" Adrien babbled. "Could it really just be a coincidence? Am I just going crazy?"

"Will you calm down?!" Plagg yelled. "Sheesh, now you're making me all angsty. You're being way too melodramatic over this whole thing."

"Plagg, is Marinette Ladybug?" Adrien dashed over and fell to his knees next to his bed, his green eyes desperate begging Plagg for answers, for the world to make sense again.

Plagg remained silent for a few seconds, tensing as he tried to contain his laughter. "Come on kid, you know I can't answer that question, so it's futile to ask me."

"But why though? As far as I know, it's only Ladybug who's concerned about keeping identities a secret."

"Exactly!" Plagg frowned. "Her kwami told me to keep quiet, so there's nothing I can do. She'll kill me!"

"I thought you were immortal?" Adrien questioned.

"That doesn't mean Tikki's wrath doesn't terrify me," Plagg quivered before swallowing another block of cheese whole.

"Tikki? Is that the name of Ladybug's kwami?" Adrien smiled, pleased he was finally able to get some information out of Plagg.

Plagg froze before gulping. "Ugh, me and my big mouth."

"But you do know who Ladybug is, don't you? You can tell me that much at least?" Adrien begged, clasping his hands together on his sheets.

The little kwami said nothing, refusing to look at Adrien as he glared off into the distance. Adrien watched him carefully, and it was clear from Plagg's body language that he knew exactly who Ladybug was. All Adrien needed was the verbal confirmation.

However, seconds ticked by and Plagg still hadn't said anything, causing Adrien to start to grow increasingly frustrated. Surely, Plagg could get away with answering that question at the very least? What was so scary about Tikki that had Plagg of all creatures afraid to put his holder's mind at ease? Though ease might be the wrong word. He wasn't sure how he would react if it turned out he was right.

If…if Ladybug had been so close to him all this time, literally right under his nose, sitting behind him in class, hanging out in her room with her when they were practicing for the gaming tournament, his best friend dating her best friend…the girl who possibly still loathed him after his first day of school. Adrien shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"You do," Adrien answered for him.

There were a few moments of heavy silence. Plagg lifted his head up to say something, however, he was abruptly interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. The little black kwami quickly hid in Adrien's shirt just as the door handle on his bedroom was pushed down. Gabriel Agreste marched in, his hands clasped behind his back. His grey eyes caught site of the small cheese stash on his son's pillow to which Gabriel raised an eyebrow at Adrien. All Adrien could do was shrug in response and thankfully, Gabriel didn't question it further.

"You are not practicing your piano like you promised," Gabriel stated, his grey eyes were cold as steel as they regarded his only son.

"I was busy doing homework," Adrien lied, "due to the photoshoot going on for longer than planned, it's given me less time this evening."

Gabriel frowned. "And this was just another reason I was so against you attending school."

"I'm handling it, father," Adrien quickly replied to try and stop that argument in its tracks before it could begin.

Any opportunity to try and convinced Adrien to go back to home-schooling, Gabriel seized it and clung on with everything he had. It was lucky that Adrien could be just as stubborn as his father. This argument was a battle of wits that neither of them enjoyed.

Gabriel then turned away, beginning to walk back out of the room. "Well, I expect you to start practicing now. You cannot afford to fall behind."

"Father, wait," Adrien pleaded just as his father reached his doorway.

Gabriel froze, but otherwise did not turn to face his son, merely waiting for whatever it was that Adrien had to say. Adrien bit his lip, trying to find the right way to bring this topic up, knowing how secretive and allusive his father could be.

"Why have you never mentioned Nina Couture?" Adrien decided he should just come out and say it. It was no use beating around the bush as his father would only get annoyed and leave.

However, what Adrien was not expecting was for his father to completely tense and freeze up. Every muscle in Gabriel's body seemed to clench tightly as if braced for some sort of impact that was not coming his way. Adrien had never seen his father do such a thing. He was always so calm and collected, only speaking to others sternly at most.

"Where did you hear about her?" Gabriel's voice was flat, not giving anything away.

Adrien frowned, deciding it would be best for some reason to not tell his father that she had been at his school, so he came up with the best half-lie that he could. "My friends at school were just reading a magazine article about her today, and they mentioned that you were rivals in the industry, though, I've never heard of her."

Gabriel remained silent. His posture had not relaxed an inch, and Adrien watched as his father's hands clenched into tight fists, the veins on the back of his hands popping out.

"We… _were_ rivals, yes, until she left to go travelling," Gabriel hissed out.

"Did you really hate each other, or was it all just publicity?"

Gabriel let out a low growl. "I despise every cell in that woman's body."

Adrien was taken aback. "Why? What happened?"

Gabriel then turned around and there was an intense fire in his eyes that Adrien had never seen before. His father looked thoroughly repulsed at the topic of conversation, and Adrien found himself taking a step back, slightly intimidated by the look in his father's eyes.

"It is none of your concern, and you will do well to not have anything to do with anything even relating to her, do I make myself clear?" Gabriel's sharp voice rose slightly.

"But I –"

"I said," Gabriel interrupted him, glaring at his son, "do I make myself clear?"

Adrien sighed and looked down obediently. "Yes, father."

Gabriel then regarded him suspiciously. "She's not…back in Paris…is she?"

Adrien froze and gulped, not knowing whether to lie or tell the truth. Unfortunately, his father had already seen right through him. Gabriel pressed his lips into a tight thin line and inhaled deeply through his nose. All Adrien could do was look away awkwardly, wishing that he knew what was going on and who this woman was to spark such a reaction out of his father.

His father didn't like a lot of people, but something about this woman seemed to create a hatred in his father that Adrien had never witnessed before, and he wanted to know why. He hated being so in the dark about everything. No one around him seemed to ever inform him of what was going on and it was really started to frustrate him.

What could Nina have done that made Gabriel hate her so much? In class that morning she had seemed like such a lovely woman. A little bit odd and hot tempered, but sweet nonetheless. Especially to Marinette when Chloé had poured water all over her – all over Ladybug.

Adrien felt his whole ribcage tighten as it felt like someone had just reached their hand inside his chest and begun squeezing his heart as hard as they could. The sensation almost had Adrien gasping for air.

"I see." Gabriel frowned. "I shall speak with you tomorrow."

And with that, Gabriel stormed out, slamming Adrien's door behind him, leaving Adrien startled and confused.

"What just happened?" Adrien asked out loud, rubbing the back of his head.

Plagg's head popped out from his shirt pocket.

"No clue, but man, your dad does not seem to like that Nina woman one bit." Plagg chuckled.

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes. "My father doesn't like anyone."

Adrien then moved over to sit on his bed and placed his head in his hands in the hopes of containing the millions of thoughts that were bouncing around. No such luck though. He was on the verge of giving himself a headache with the rapid visions that kept appearing before him. Marinette's face blurring into Ladybug's, her strange behaviour lately…the feel of her soft lips against his.

That thought caused his heart to tighten painfully in his chest and a lump formed in his throat as he tried to fight back tears. _Mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake._ That one word, uttered from the lips of the love of his life, would not stop echoing around in his mind. Adrien gripped his golden locks tightly, lowering his head to the point it was almost between his knees. He wanted to shout. He wanted to scream. He wanted to hit something…anything!

His lady loved another.

Despite wanting her to be nothing but happy, it did not stop the roaring jealously deep inside him. Who was this boy who had managed to steal her heart? Ladybug said she was pretty sure that he didn't return her feelings. How could that boy not realise how lucky he was? To have captured the heart of such an exquisite girl that was Ladybug. Adrien could only dream of accomplishing such a richly rewarding task.

He wanted to hunt this boy down for making his lady so sad by not returning her feelings. Marinette had admitted to him as Chat Noir that she liked someone, though sadly she did not go into who it was – more proof that Marinette could be Ladybug. But yet…Marinette was so unlike Ladybug at the same time.

Maybe Marinette wasn't Ladybug after all. Now that he thought about it, as similar as the two looked, they were quite different in personality. Ladybug was graceful and elegant, while Marinette was awkward and clumsy. But wait…hadn't Ladybug said she wasn't the most graceful she wasn’t in her superhero form? The fact that Marinette had a similar graze to Ladybug could just be a coincident…albeit a very remarkable coincidence.

_Ack,_ Adrien was so confused, it was driving him beyond crazy!

"I don't know what to do Plagg," Adrien mumbled.

"What are you talking about now?" Plagg asked with his mouthful, a few crumbs of cheese splattered on Adrien's arm which he sat up to brush off.

"Ladybug of course!" Adrien stated as if it was obvious. "Could she have been right under my nose the whole time? I would have thought my love for her would have been powerful enough to recognise her, even out of costume."

"Yuck!" Plagg gagged. "Have you been watching those disgusting human romance shows? You're putting me off my cheese!"

Adrien sighed before dramatically dropping back down again, laying down in the middle of his bed, his arms spread out beside him. Plagg rolled his eyes at how melodramatic his holder was being before slowly placing the piece of cheese he was holding down. He then reached out in a rare display of affection to tap Adrien's finger in comfort.

"I hate to break it to you kid, but this is reality," Plagg said. "I know you've kinda been sheltered most of your life, but life never turns out like those TV shows and anime you watch."

Adrien frowned, the face of his mother popping into his head. "Trust me Plagg, _I know_."

"But the fact you thought you'd just be able to sense Ladybug in her civilian form is ludicrous," Plagg sighed out. "You've got to pay attention. Spot similarities and get to know people. If you think Marinette is Ladybug," Plagg said as he tried to contain his snigger, "then try getting to know her."

"That's it!" Adrien abruptly shot up. "Plagg, you're a genius! I just need to spy on her!"

"Whoa, wait, I never said _that_!" Plagg exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"That way I can gather more evidence." Adrien began pacing again, deep in thought and seemingly not noticing Plagg's spluttering protests. "Obviously the graze isn't enough to conclusively prove that Marinette is Ladybug, and Marinette had a pretty valid excuse. I need more proof. I can spy on her as both Chat Noir and as Adrien, then maybe I can figure this whole thing out. Of course, I can't mention anything to Ladybug, she'll just freak out."

"Jeeze kid, obsessed much?" Plagg laughed loudly, clutching his belly.

"I'm not obsessed!"

"Marinette's all you've been talking about all day. After everything that happened with Ladybug, I was fully prepared for an ear-full about her, but nope – _Marinette this, Marinette that,_ " Plagg mocked, "it's almost as if you liiiiikkkeee her." He began making exaggerated kissing noises.

Adrien's face turned bright red. "I do not! I'm just doing a little investigating into whether she might be Ladybug."

"And if she is?" Plagg smirked.

Adrien froze. In all honesty, he hadn't really thought that far ahead. One of his first ever friends could be the love of his life. Adrien only liked Marinette as a friend, despite what Plagg's teasing suggested, so then what would that do to his feelings towards her if she was Ladybug? Ladybug and Marinette were so similar yet so dissimilar at the same time.

Adrien then got a sinking feeling deep within his stomach as the repercussions of the situation dawned on him. And what if she wasn't Ladybug? Weirdly, Adrien felt slightly disappointed by that thought, and it spooked him. It felt like both his head and his heart were all over the place at the moment. This was going to get confusing and draining really quickly. But it had to be done. Adrien needed to know the truth now that the seed of Ladybug's true identity had been planted in his head.

"This is going to be hilarious." Plagg erupted into another laughing fit and Adrien glared at him.

"I'm glad _you_ think it’s funny," Adrien growled out. "Now eat up, we have a little spying mission to go on."

Plagg slowly shook his head as he scoffed down the last piece of his cheese. "You're playing a seriously dangerous game Adrien."

Adrien was slightly startled by Plagg's sudden seriousness before he shook his head in denial. "Maybe…but this is something that has to be done. Plagg, claws out!"

Plagg let out an annoyed sigh, but otherwise did not protest the transformation like Adrien thought he would. In a burst of green light, Chat Noir soon stood poised and ready, clad in black leather. He quickly unhooked his baton from his belt and launched himself out of his bedroom window, and in his haste, he was unaware of the narrowed grey eyes watching him from a window one floor below him.

Chat easily glided through the city, and soon the Dupain-Cheng bakery came into view. It was starting to get late, and it looked like only one light was glowing inside the house on the top floor: Marinette's room. Would she even still be awake?

Chat began to feel slightly nervous about what he was doing when he quietly landed on all fours on the roof. His cat-like night vision ability allowed him to easily spot Marinette curled up on her deck chair staring into space and fiddling with something small and thin in her hand. He wondered what was on her mind at that moment. She had been so upset lately. Was she thinking about that boy she liked?

That thought caused a low growl to rumble deep in Chat's chest, the sound of it startling himself, and in the process of jumping at his sudden, weird behaviour, his foot slipped, knocking a roof tile which smashed loudly on Marinette's balcony, narrowly missing her.

Marinette yelped, jumping out of her seat and looking up at her roof, though Chat's silhouette was mainly hidden by the darkness surrounding him. Marinette glared in his general direction though, which startled him slightly. Wasn't she afraid? He thought anyone else would be. Much to his further surprise, she tensed slightly into an almost fighting position. He never knew Marinette could be so brave and feisty…could that be further evidence?

"Who's there?" Marinette demanded, and Chat didn't know what to do.

He started to realise how weird and possibly borderline creepy he was being. He was supposed to be spying on her right now in secret to try and catch her talking to a kwami or something like that, but she clearly knew that something or someone was on her roof.

"If you're some sort of creepy burglar, then you have no idea who you're dealing with," Marinette threatened which caused Chat to gasp in shock.

This made him lose his footing again, this time sending himself crashing down onto Marinette's balcony. He landed clumsily and awkwardly on the back of his neck, his head pounded slightly as it made contact with the ground. His legs stuck in the air, and Chat then looked at a now shocked looking upside down Marinette.

"Chat!" she gasped, looking completely perplexed and concerned.

"I guess you could say I fell for you." Chat chuckled, kicking his legs up to do a front flip to right himself again. He wasn't going to deny that he did that to show off slightly, though his smug smirk quickly fell when Marinette ran over to him looking panicked.

"Whoa, hey princess, what's up?" he asked as she grabbed hold of his arm to pull him down to her level. She began running her fingers through his hair, biting her lip in concentration. Chat struggled to contain his urge to purr at how amazing her fingers felt in his hair. However, the urge stopped itself when her fingers made contact with something incredibly sore on the back of his head.

"OUCH!" Chat yelled, jumping away from her and clutching the spot that was hurting on the back of his head.

Marinette sighed. "I need to have a look Chat, that felt like a pretty nasty bump."

"Since when are you a nurse?" Chat quizzed, chuckling slightly as the pain from Marinette's touch went away.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I'm not, I just want to make sure you don't need an actual nurse, silly Kitty."

"Oh, I don't know, I think you'd look quite good in a nurse outfit." Chat winked cheekily and couldn't help but feel slightly smug and amused when Marinette's face seemed to instantly turn a deep shade of red. Her eye twitched slightly, and then Chat couldn't contain himself, bursting into a huge fit of laughter. Marinette huffed and pouted, and Chat couldn't help but think how adorable she looked when her bottom lip stuck out like that. A thought in which he quickly mentally slapped himself over.

"Relax, Marinette," Chat managed to gasp out between bouts of laughter, "I was only joking."

"Nurse my sides." Marinette muttered sarcastically, jokingly sulking as she crossed her arms over her chest, still pouting adorably.

Chat stopped laughing to stare at Marinette in an excited state of shock. "Did…did you just make a pun?" He then went back to laughing.

"No!" Marinette instantly denied before looking away in effort to hide the smirk forming on her face. "Maybe. It was an accident."

"Uh huh, sure," Chat teased, "but seriously princess, my head is fine, just a little tender."

Marinette visibly relaxed a little before sighing and leaning against the metal railings. "Not to be rude Chat, but what exactly are you doing here?"

"I…" Chat froze, his green eyes widening in fear slightly as he tried to think of a good lie. "I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd check you on. You seemed pretty upset last time."

Marinette stared at him for a moment before smiling slightly, and Chat relaxed as she seemed to believe his lie. He was starting to feel incredibly guilty over the whole thing. He was treating Marinette like she was some sort of criminal he was staking out. She was just a sweet girl minding her own business and likely didn't need him spying on her and invading her privacy; especially if it turned out she wasn't Ladybug after all.

The sight of her leaning against the railing, so small and vulnerable, had him doubting that fact though. Her posture was awkward, tense and uneasy, no hint of the self-assurance and determination that Ladybug displayed.

"How about you?" Marinette's voice drew him out of his thoughts. "You were pretty upset last time. Did you manage to patch things up with Ladybug?"

Chat couldn't help but raise a suspicious eyebrow at her. Was she asking because she was genuinely curious and didn't know, or was she just trying to maintain her cover by pretending to not know what happened? Chat thought he better choose his answer carefully to be prepared for either scenario being possible. If Marinette was Ladybug, she was pretty good at playing dumb, he'll give her that.

"I guess you could say that," Chat admitted at last, and Marinette let out a hum of curiosity, prompting him to continue. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Marinette seemed incredibly bothered by that and almost…guilty? Chat wasn't quite sure. He decided it would be best to change the subject. He was supposed to be finding out more about Marinette, not the other way around. Talking to each other seemed easier when he was Chat Noir. She seemed slightly more comfortable around him like this; at least she could get her sentences out coherently.

"So, how are things with you?" Chat asked, sitting down cross legged on one of her chairs.

Marinette joined him, sitting next to him and looking down sadly. This caused his ears to droop slightly seeing her looking so sad. At the moment, it looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and Chat felt the urge to do everything in his power to put a smile on her beautiful face.

That thought made Chat freeze. Now that he really looked at her, Marinette was a really pretty, cute girl. The cute freckles on her nose really reminded him a lot of Ladybug, along with her intense blue eyes that could ensnare anyone who looked into them. The graze on her head sadly wasn't visible which meant Chat unfortunately wouldn't be able to ask her about it without arousing suspicious.

Marinette then shrugged. "Same old same old, I guess."

"No luck with this boy of yours?" he prompted, hoping to dig for information.

Marinette shook her head, her eyes glistening slightly as she stared up at the full moon. "No. If anything I think I just made myself look like even more of a dorkasaurus around him."

" _Dorkasaurus?_ " Chat chuckled lightly.

Marinette ignored him. "He actually came to talk to me today and I blew it by being all weird on him."

Chat sighed sympathetically. "Marinette,I doubt he thinks you're weird."

"And how would you know?"

"Because I don't think you're weird," he explained, "You're…endearing."

"Which is just the nice way of saying someone's weird," Marinette huffed, bringing her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

"Is being weird such a bad thing? If you want this guy to like you, you should just be yourself; weird tendencies and all." Chat smiled encouragingly. "Maybe you should try talking to him more."

Frowning, Marinette straightened out again before staring down at the floor deep in thought. "I tried that though, it gets me nowhere."

Chat Noir then reached out and gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Marinette jumped slightly at his touch but relaxed when he began rubbing soothing circles into her shoulder, making Chat smile.

"Well even if it doesn't work out, you'll always be _my_ princess."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "I bet you say that to all the girls in Paris."

Chat frowned. Did Marinette really think of him like that? A flirting womanizer? That stung a little bit, but then again, his behaviour didn't exactly do anything to disprove those thoughts. He just had too much fun enjoying the freedom that being Chat Noir gave him. He got to talk to so many different people for the first time in his life and couldn't resist jokingly flirting with different girls. It was the first time in his life he had ever received attention, affection and adoration that hadn't been from just his mother. He had no idea that it made him come across as some sort of lecherous playboy.

"No, I don't actually," Chat corrected her. "Just you."

"Not even Ladybug?"

Marinette's question stunned him to silence before he finally whispered his answer. "No."

For whatever reason, his answer caused a small smile to appear on Marinette's face, and she shuffled closer to him in her seat, their arms almost touching. Chat Noir then caught site of the object in her hand that she had been fiddling with prior to him nearly falling on top of her.

"What's that?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, a business card that Nina Couture gave me," Marinette responded, looking down at it and moving it around slightly so the golden letters shone slightly in the moonlight.

"The famous fashion designer?"

"Yeah, she's offered me a work placement."

"That's fantastic," Chat praised, knowing how talented Marinette was.

Though he couldn't deny that he was slightly uneasy about her being in such close quarters with Nina. She had given him strange vibes today, and he was even more cautious about her now after what had happened with his father earlier. He would definitely have to keep an eye on Marinette now, just to be safe.

"I just need to discuss it with my parents though, I didn't have time to talk to them about it tonight."

That caught Chat's interest and he was suspicious again. "Why, what happened tonight?"

"Fancy some stargazing again?" Marinette offered as if Chat hadn't said anything.

With his secret mission quickly forgotten, Chat couldn't help but indulge in whatever his princess wanted. They picked up where they had left off a few nights before, making up stories for the different constellations they created. Much like last time, Marinette soon fell asleep, though this time, she slumped so that she was lying in Chat's lap. His heart couldn't help but melt at the sight of her sleeping curled up, her delicate head resting on his thigh.

Chat wished that he didn't have to move and disturb her. It seemed impossible, but she was even cuter when she was asleep. Marinette certainly was an interesting girl, he thought to himself, as memories of the two past nights he had spent with her swirled around in his head. Chat then gazed at her curiously as he was sucked deeper and deeper into his thoughts. Maybe there was some truth to what Plagg had been saying. Maybe he did like Marinette a little more than he cared to admit. She was funny, smart, beautiful and interesting.

Marinette sighed in her sleep, snapping him out of his daydreaming, and he instantly banished those previous thoughts. Much to his dismay, he knew she probably wouldn't sleep comfortably in his lap like this, so, being as gentle as possible, he carefully picked her up bridal style. He slipped them both through her trapdoor before placing her down on her bed and tucking her in as best as he could without waking her.

He was just about to leave when a small hand suddenly reached out and gripped his arm tightly. Chat turned back to Marinette in shock, worried that he had woken her, but her eyes were still tightly closed, though a slight frown had formed on her face.

"Chat…" she whispered, and Chat stared at her, so sure that she had woken, though her closed eyes said otherwise.

"Don't leave me…" Her voice trailed off, and Chat's eyes widened.

She was talking in her sleep. She was dreaming about him?!

Marinette then seemed to relax again, letting go of his arm and smiling softly in her sleep before turning over. Chat couldn't help but smile as well, his heart pounding in his chest. He then couldn't resist leaning down and placing a gentle and totally platonic kiss on her temple as she slept peacefully.

"Sweet dreams, princess," Chat whispered to her before leaping out of her room as quietly as possible, leaving the exhausted girl to sleep in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your comments, kudos and bookmarks!


	12. Night Terror

Ladybug laughed joyfully as she flew between the buildings of Paris, adrenaline pumping through her veins causing pleasant butterflies in her stomach. Once again, the city was dark, quiet and peaceful. Not a soul was in sight and all the lights were off, revealing the brilliant glowing stars above. They twinkled beautifully, and Ladybug marvelled at the sight as she continued to swing her yo-yo, hooking it from one building the next.

The breeze felt wonderful against the exposed skin of her face, and her hair blew widely around her as she flew faster and faster and faster. Ladybug had never felt such exhilarating ecstasy. The city was all hers once again. All hers.

Finally coming to a gentle stop on the roof of a tall building, Ladybug looked down at her yo-yo. With the power of creation, she could shape this city in any way she wanted. She could shape France in any way she wanted. The whole world in any way she wanted. She could stop all injustice and suffering, make right what is wrong and bring order to chaos. That was her job as Ladybug.

A sudden shooting pain travelled up her back, causing Ladybug to gasp. Her insides suddenly felt like they were on fire, despite what felt like something cold and metal piercing her flesh. Ladybug's spine was screaming as all feeling below her waist disappeared, her legs caved beneath her, and soon, Ladybug found herself collapsing in a heap on the roof, her eyes unblinking as she stared up at the stars that continued to twinkle down at her as if nothing had happened.

A thick, warm liquid began to soak her suit, and her heart thudded erratically as she struggled to comprehend what was going on. She couldn't move. Why couldn't she move? Though the pain was burning, searing and unbearable, she found herself unable to scream. Her voice lost in the vast sea of pain and confusion.

A familiar, comforting face appeared in her line of sight. His green cat-like eyes looked dull and lifeless as they stared down at her. Chat Noir stood over her, watching and unmoving. Ladybug wanted to scream at him to help her, to tell her what was going on.

Ladybug then felt something drip on her. At last she managed to move her eyes, following Chat's form down only to realise he was holding something in his hand. A knife. A blood covered knife that was dripping the red liquid onto her chest as he stood over her.

_Her_ blood.

The urge to scream was thwarted by her paralysed state. What had Chat done?! Why had he done this to her?! All her tear filled blue eyes could do were widen as Chat leaned down. His breath tickled her cheek as he leaned his lips close to her ear.

" _Marinette,"_ he whispered as Ladybug's eyes began to close against her will, her last vision being of the twinkling stars above her as Chat continued to whisper her name in her ear.

" _Marinette."_

" _Marinette."_

" _MARINETTE!"_

"MARINETTE!"

"GAH!" Marinette screamed as she shot upright in her bed.

The familiar walls of her bedroom immediately sent waves of relief crashing through her body. However, Marinette's breathing was still laboured and panicked. She was drenched in sweat, strands of her wild dark hair were sticking to her face as Marinette clutched her chest to try and slow down her rapidly beating heart. Visions from her nightmare still danced before her, and Marinette quickly looked down at her torso.

No blood.

Her arms snapped around, feeling up and down her back as best as she could, the ghost of the knife still feeling like it was stabbing into her. There was nothing there though.

Marinette finally relaxed her arms and let out a deep breath to try and calm herself down some more.

"Marinette, you're finally awake." Tikki's voice came from next to her, and the little kwami let out a sigh of relief before moving to hover in front of a distressed Marinette's face.

"Morning Tikki." Marinette forced a smile before yawning and stretching in an attempt act nonchalant.

She just wanted to pretend that scary nightmare never happened. She had never had such a gory dream like that before. Though Marinette tried to find some silver lining, in that for once, the dream didn't involve her kissing Chat Noir.

_Just him murdering her._

Marinette's eye twitched at the thought. Creepy.

"It's almost afternoon," Tikki explained, "it's already eleven thirty."

"What?!" Marinette exclaimed jumping out of bed as fast as she could to get dressed.

"Why didn't my parents come get me up?"

"It's Saturday, Marinette. Plus, you needed the rest."

Marinette paused, her shirt half-way on her body as she stared at Tikki in confusion. "So why did you wake me up then?"

Tikki suddenly looked very concerned. "You were crying out in your sleep Marinette; tossing and turning like you were having a bad nightmare. I was worried."

Marinette chuckled nervously. "Yeah, well, I'm fine, no need to worry."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tikki offered, and Marinette shook her head.

"It was just a stupid dream, Tikki. It doesn't mean anything."

Marinette finished getting ready for the day while trying to ignore Tikki's annoying concerned stares. Thankfully though, her kwami did not press the matter further. Marinette was getting tired of these strange dreams, and now it seemed they had taken an alarming turn. The young hero wasn't sure which ones she preferred: the ones in which she kissed her partner or the ones in which her partner killed her.

Both were equally terrifying to her.

Even though she kept trying to tell herself that they were just dreams, Marinette couldn't help but be bothered by them. She was never one to have nightmares, or even one to dream at all most nights. That's what made this past week even stranger. The fact that Tikki explained why she might be having the dreams in which she kissed Chat Noir did nothing to soothe her. That explanation now certainly didn't explain why now in her dreams, Chat was after her blood. It was safe to say that Marinette was officially spooked.

Once she was all sorted and ready, Marinette headed downstairs with Tikki staying safely out of sight in her room. Her mother was sat taking a break on the couch watching the news, and she turned around and smiled as her daughter made her way down the stairs.

"Finally up, dear?" Sabine asked, sitting up to turn and face Marinette.

"Yeah, sorry I slept in so late," Marinette replied sheepishly, awkwardly tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Sabine waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It's been a quiet day at the bakery and you needed your rest." Her caring smile widened. "I'm sure you must be hungry. I'll fix you something to eat."

"Thanks, mom." Marinette's sheepish smile turned into a genuine one as she sat down at the breakfast bar.

As Sabine began making her a quick sandwich, Marinette suddenly remembered that she needed to ask her parents about the work experience placement Nina had offered her. Unfortunately, her dad wasn't here right now, he was busy working in the bakery, but Marinette knew she needed to ask now; she didn't want to keep Nina waiting too long. She was sure her mother would be okay with it though – more than okay.

"Hey, mom?" Marinette began, and Sabine hummed in acknowledgement. "So, I've been offered an amazing opportunity to take part in a work placement for a fashion company."

Sabine immediately stopped what she was doing to beam at her daughter. Her mother ran over and engulfed her daughter in a large bear hug, squeezing Marinette tightly in excitement.

"Oh, Marinette, that's amazing!" Sabine gushed before releasing her daughter to get back to making her something to eat. Marinette smiled, pride swirling around inside her at how happy and proud she was making her mother by being able to follow her dreams like this. She knew her mother would be happy and supportive over this.

"Who's the placement with?" Sabine asked excitedly, picking up the plate, ready to hand it to Marinette.

"Nina Couture," Marinette replied happily, swinging her legs in her seat giddily.

_Crash._

At that name, Sabine instantly froze. The plate she had been holding had slipped out of her hand and shattered into many sharp and broken pieces on the floor with Marinette's sandwich splattering everywhere. The sudden silence was heavy like lead, and Marinette watched her mother in confusion as Sabine's grey eyes appeared to be far off and unfocused, her mouth agape slightly while the rest of her expression was blank. Marinette couldn't help but remain still out of fear. Was her mother okay?

"M-mom?" Marinette quietly asked, her voice shaking with fear slightly.

At the sound of her daughter's voice, Sabine seemed to instantly snap out of her state. The broken plate and scattered food seemed to be forgotten as Sabine Cheng finally looked at her daughter, her eyes narrowed, and her face stern, emitting a powerful aura of parental authority. Marinette found herself cringing back slightly; her mother had never looked at her like that before. Not even when Marinette had been at her naughtiest as a child.

"I'm afraid…I cannot give you permission to go on that placement Marinette." Sabine's voice was final, but Marinette couldn't help but challenge it.

"But why?" Marinette asked, desperately searching for some sense in her mother's confusing and sudden refusal. "You were all excited for it a second ago. What changed?"

"I…I just think you're a little too young to be doing something like that. You need to focus on your studies." Sabine frowned, and Marinette couldn't help but frown back in defiance.

She was never really one to talk back to her parents, Marinette had always been pretty well behaved, however this time, she couldn't help but feel like her mother was being incredibly unfair and unjust.

"That still doesn't answer my question," Marinette demanded, taking a stance.

"Yes, well, I'm really sorry about getting your hopes up, but I just realised how much time that might take away from your school work. I thought you were worried about falling behind?"

"By taking unnecessary time off, yeah," Marinette retorted, her voice getting louder in anger, "but this is an opportunity I can't afford to miss! Nina has offered me a placement that can help shape my future and get me into the fashion industry. And I'm going to take it!"

"Oh no you are not, young lady!" Sabine raised her voice, causing Marinette to shrink back slightly.

"But –"

"You are not going on that work placement and that's FINAL!"

Marinette could feel her resolve weakening. Betrayed tears welled up in her eyes. How could her mother do this to her? She knew how bad Marinette wanted to be a fashion designer and now she was sabotaging that opportunity. Sabine herself looked upset, and she slowly reached a hand out in attempt to place it on her daughter's shoulder. Marinette pushed it away, ignoring the hurt look on her mother's face.

The young hero didn't want to break down in front of her mother, so she abruptly stood up, her appetite having long since vanished by now, and she stormed back upstairs. Sabine made no attempt to follow her. She simply stood still, her eyes closing sadly.

In her anger, Marinette loudly slammed her trap door behind her before climbing up to her bed and flinging herself down. She gripped her pillow tightly, unable to hold back the sobs that clawed their way out of her, like a wild animal, desperate to be released from captivity. Marinette didn't care if her mother could hear her crying. In fact, she wanted her mother to hear. She wanted her to know the pain she had caused her. She thought her mother cared about her ambitions and her hopes and dreams.

Obviously not.

Now Marinette may never be able to climb the greasy pole of the fashion industry, especially if she turned down one of the most famous people in the industry.

"Marinette?" Tikki's soft voice came from just above her head. "Are you alright? I heard everything that happened."

"How could she do that to me, Tikki?" Marinette sobbed. "She knows how much I want to be a fashion designer."

Tikki sighed, sitting on top of Marinette's buried head before gently stroking her dark hair. "I'm sure your mother is only trying to look out for you. She might be right in that it might interfere with school."

"But this is my dream, Tikki," Marinette whimpered.

"And there are plenty of other ways you can achieve that dream. I'm sure you'll get into university no problem, and you can get into the industry through that route. It's not the end of the world, Marinette. I believe in you," Tikki comforted.

Marinette sniffed. "Thanks, Tikki. At least I know I can always count on your support."

"Always, Marinette." Tikki smiled. "But you really do have enough distractions lately with school and saving Paris. On top of that, I know you haven't been sleeping well lately. I see you stayed up late with Chat Noir again last night."

Marinette could feel herself blushing, though thankfully, her face was still hidden by her pillow.

"For someone who said they're not interested in Chat Noir," Tikki teased, "your actions sure seem to say the opposite."

The young hero growled, turning over to face the ceiling. Tikki floated upwards before moving to sit on the small shelf next to her bed. She gazed down at Marinette with sympathetic eyes. Marinette didn't even feel like dignifying Tikki's teasing with a response. She was still too upset with what had just happened with her mother to begin worrying about Chat Noir again.

Though she did hope he was okay right now. She got the strong impression last night that he was still upset with her, though Marinette didn't know why she expected him not to be. She had severely hurt him. Though he may have accepted her apology and was talking to her again, that didn't necessarily mean that he had forgotten what happened. His guard will likely be up now, and as much as it upset her, she understood. But, just like she thought yesterday, Chat would hopefully one day move on and find someone who would love him back and treat him right.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts of the intoxicating miasma of thoughts that was Chat Noir lately, Marinette sat up and picked up Nina's business card that was situated on her shelf next to Tikki. Marinette utterly despaired at the thought of disappointing Nina. Nina had seemed to be so keen on her taking her up on her offer, and Marinette didn't like the idea of letting her down.

However, her mother was undeniably – and rather unfairly – against the idea. Marinette gritted her teeth at that thought before forcing herself to compose herself again. She picked up her phone, ready to dial in Nina's number before looking at Tikki who nodded at her in reassurance. Marinette's thumb hovered over her screen before she sighed and placed her phone back down.

"Maybe it would be more polite to tell her in person," Marinette pondered, looking down sadly. "I could use the fresh air of the walk there anyway."

Marinette looked at the address. It wasn't too far away. Normally, it would be a distance that Marinette would catch the bus for, but she felt like a nice long walk would help her clear her head and help her prepare for what she was going to say to Nina.

"If that's how you feel." Tikki smiled, sitting up, ready to fly into Marinette's purse.

Marinette nodded and climbed down from her bed. She picked up her purse that was hanging on the back of her desk chair and opened it up for Tikki, who immediately flew inside before Marinette closed it behind her. She slung it over her shoulder before gulping as her hand hovered over the trapdoor. Marinette really didn't want to face her mother right now, but she knew she had to.

With a new-found determination, Marinette opened her door and strode confidently and with purpose down the stairs. Sabine was still sat in the living room watching the television, and her head snapped up to look at Marinette. It looked like she had been crying, though Marinette didn't understand what she had to cry over.

"M-Marinette?" Sabine sniffed, quickly wiping her face. "Where are you going?"

"Out," was all Marinette could bring herself to flatly respond as she made her way over to the front door.

Sabine said nothing, instead looking down sadly and guiltily. Marinette bit her lip at the sight of her mother looking so upset. She hated this. She hated fighting with any of her parents, and it pained her to see her mother like this. However, this didn't mean she could forgive her mother just yet for what she had done. Marinette had accepted her mother's words that she was not to accept this work placement, and was now on her way to turn down a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, Marinette felt like she had the right to still be upset and not want to talk to her mother right now.

As quickly as possible, Marinette left, her heart in her mouth the whole time as she closed the door on her mother. She power walked down the stairs, ignoring her father as she walked past him in the bakery.

The hot sun hit her face as soon as she made it outside, and the cheery weather seemed to be mocking her. Marinette glared in the direction of the sun before walking towards Nina's office headquarters at a normal pace.

Completely wrapped up in her deep thoughts, Marinette barely noticed that she had arrived until the almost unbearable shine of Nina's name written in gold letters snapped her out of her daydreaming. Marinette then stood outside for what felt like an eternity. Now that she was here, she couldn't muster up the courage to go inside. It was like an invisible rope was tied behind her back, preventing her from moving any further.

People moved in and out of the building, not seeming to notice her oddly standing and gawking at the pristine revolving door. It was hard to see inside the building as all of the windows were tinted. Neatly trimmed green bushes decorated the side of the entrance, further blocking the view of the inside. Marinette suddenly felt way out of her depth at the sight of the posh looking people walking in and out.

Gulping back her fear as best she could, Marinette finally forced herself to move forward. One step at a time, she finally made it to the door before gently pushing on the golden bar and making her way inside.

Marinette froze once again once she was inside.

The floor was made of beautiful white marble tiles with red marble columns that towered up to the intricately carved ceiling of swirling gothic designs. A gold, silver and diamond chandelier hung in the centre, just before the escalators that led up to the next floor. Any item of clothing you could think of was hung carefully on golden rails towards the back of the store while make-up and perfume desks sat closer to the entrance.

The store didn't seem too busy, and while her eyes looked around, hungrily taking everything in, Marinette finally managed to spot what looked like a main reception desk. A woman, dressed in a black and white uniform was sat there reading a book, and Marinette decided that talking to her might be her best bet of finding Nina. When Marinette approached, the lady didn't even look up. Marinette cleared her throat and still nothing.

"Excuse me?" Minette asked in a quiet, timid voice.

The woman finally looked up, shooting Marinette an annoyed looking expression before looking at her up and down, a sneer then appearing on her face.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she demanded with a hint of attitude.

"I'm looking for Nina Couture," Marinette explained, trying her best to keep the intimidated shaking out of her voice. The woman behind the desk reminded her a lot of Chloé.

The receptionist chuckled. "Then you're wasting your time little girl. Ms. Couture doesn't have time for the likes of you, now run along."

Marinette frowned before pulling the business card out of her purse and showing the lady. "She offered me a work placement and I've come here to speak to her about it. She said I could talk to her anytime."

The woman seemed shocked at the sight of the business card before her face morphed back into a sneer. She reluctantly and exaggeratingly picked up the phone and dialled a number. The woman shot Marinette a glare to which Marinette had to prevent herself from glaring back in response. What was this lady's problem?

The phone rang a few times until the familiar soft, high voice of Nina answered, sounding slightly irritated. Marinette couldn't make out what Nina was saying despite straining her ears as hard as possible to listen.

"I'm sorry ma'am I know you're in a meeting, but some _girl_ says she wants to see you." The woman shot Marinette another glare. "She had your business card and claims she's been offered a work placement by you personally…No, I didn't get her name…What does she look like? Well I dunno." Her eyes scanned Marinette's body. "Skinny, black hair in pigtails, blue eyes, kinda awkward looking."

Marinette blushed and crossed her arms over her body self-consciously.

"Yes, ma'am," the woman said before hanging up the phone and getting back to reading her book, refusing to look at Marinette.

"Someone will be down here any minute to escort you up," the woman explained.

"Thank you," Marinette said, despite the lady's behaviour towards her, and took a few steps away, looking around to try and spot anyone who might be walking towards her.

After what felt like a minute, what looked like that familiar man who had been with Nina that day when she came to her school approached her, once again dressed all in black. He smiled politely down at her, and Marinette awkwardly smiled back, slightly intimidated by him.

"This way, please." He gestured his hand towards a fancy looking elevator, and Marinette was beginning to think this place was fancier than Chloé's father's hotel.

They were the only ones in the elevator which made Marinette feel even more awkward. Gentle music was playing, and all Marinette could do was stare at the floor as they continued to go up for what felt like an eternity. Marinette began to feel even more nervous to the point where the sudden _ding_ of the elevator made her jump.

The man stepped out, and Marinette wordlessly followed him down a long corridor until he stopped and opened some large double doors at the end. He stepped aside and motioned Marinette inside.

Anxiously, Marinette stepped inside, though the man did not follow her in. She turned to face him in confusion.

He offered her a small smile. "Ms. Couture will be with you shortly."

And with that, he closed the door behind him.

Marinette turned back around, feeling uncomfortable as she realised she was now alone in Nina's office. It was very grand in design with floor to ceiling windows that had a marvellous view of the city. The floor and the ceiling were the same as downstairs, though the ceiling was now slightly lower with a much smaller chandelier than the one from downstairs. The walls were painted a blood red, and the room was filled with dark wooden furniture. Two red fabric couches faced each other in the centre, with a small wooden coffee table in the middle. The desk was pushed towards the back of the room just in front of the giant windows. The desk chair was huge, made out of black leather with two smaller chairs on the other side of the desk.

Marinette made her way over and couldn't resist running her finger along the wood as she walked around. Many papers were scattered around the desk in a slightly untidy fashion, and Marinette couldn't help but smile when she noticed one pile of papers contained the designs of her classmates with her ruined one on top, much to her dismay and confusion.

Getting slightly giddy at being alone in an office like this, Marinette was unable to fight off the urge to sit in the large leather chair. She spun around on it like a child, fantasying about having a fashion empire of her own one day with a desk chair like this.

"Having fun?"

A soft chuckle made Marinette jump, and she immediately leapt off the chair like it was on fire. Her wide eyes met the amused eyes of Nina, who was stood at the front of her desk with her arms crossed, smiling at Marinette with a slight hint of bemusement.

"Oh I-I was j-just…" Marinette stuttered, panicking.

Nina laughed as she moved around the desk to claim her chair back, sitting down and pushing herself towards the desk. Marinette stumbled around to the other side, remaining standing as her face turned bright red in embarrassment.

"It's okay." Nina let out one final chuckle before turning slightly more serious. "So, what can I do for you? I must admit, I'm rather surprised to see you here. I thought you would prefer to call me."

Marinette froze, her words becoming caught in a jumbled mess in her throat. "I…I have some bad news I'm afraid."

Nina raised a delicate blonde eyebrow.

"I can't do the work placement." Marinette decided it would be best to just come out and say it and not waste Nina's time.

Nina remained frozen and silent for a few seconds before her eye twitched slightly.

"Why not?" Her voice was flat.

"My…my mother isn't too happy about it and won't let me."

Nina frowned, her eyes regarding Marinette suspiciously, though Marinette wasn't sure why.

"Did she give you a reason?"

Marinette sighed sadly. "Just that she doesn't want it interfering with my schoolwork."

"I see," Nina mused, her body relaxing slightly, her mouth twitching as she appeared to be fighting off a smirk.

"So, I can't do the placement," Marinette explained, looking defeated.

Nina said nothing for a few minutes before she leaned forward, crossing her arms in front of her on her desk. "You know, Marinette, I didn't get where I am today because I listened to other people. I did what I wanted to do, and I did what I knew I needed to do to get to where I am today."

Marinette looked up curiously.

"I was just like you once," Nina continued, "I came from an even poorer and more disadvantaged background than you, and I made it to the top because I refused to let other people tell me what to do."

"Wait…are you saying that I should…lie?" Marinette gasped.

"It should come naturally to you shouldn't it?" Nina winked, and Marinette took an automatic step back, her mind immediately going to her double life as Ladybug. What could Nina have possibly meant by that? It creeped her out slightly, and as if sensing this, Nina spoke again.

"You are a teenager after all."

Marinette immediately relaxed slightly again, though was still shocked at what Nina was saying.

"I…I don't like lying," Marinette mumbled, a frown appearing on her face.

Nina focused her intense deep blue eyes on Marinette, smiling slightly as she stared at her. "Maybe lying is the wrong word. You're just simply not telling your parents," Nina offered before her tone turned slightly pleading and charming. "Please, Marinette, you don't want to turn down this opportunity just because two people who clearly don't understand you and your dreams simply said _no,_ do you?"

Marinette had never felt more torn in her life. She hated the thought of lying to her parents; it was wrong. She loved her parents too much to think about deceiving them like this. But she knew Nina was right. Why should she listen to her mother in this instance? Marinette was almost an adult now and knew her own mind. This was a fantastic opportunity for her, and Nina was being more than generous, so why should Marinette pass up on it just because her mother claimed to be worried about school?

As if sensing what she was thinking, Nina began to explain, "We can work around your school hours and homework. Maybe you could come in, say, every Saturday?"

Biting her lip, Marinette knew she had made up her mind, though it didn't stop her from being consumed by guilt. She was betraying her parents' trust. But it was for a good cause, right? Marinette was simply securing her future and following her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. They were the ones with the problems if they couldn't see the long-term benefits of this.

"So," Nina interrupted Marinette's thoughts, "do we have a deal?" She smirked as she held her hand out.

Marinette hesitated before she slowly reached out her hand and placed it in Nina's. They both shook hands, and Marinette tried her best to smile despite being a nervous mess over this whole thing.

"It's a deal."

~~

Nathalie Sancoeur stood patiently and still, with her hands clasped behind her back obediently as she watched her boss, Gabriel Agreste, pace across his office in a rare display of a lack of control of his emotions. Though she was nervous and somewhat frightened in his presence right now, she did not show it, keeping her eyes facing forward so as not to say or do the wrong thing in Gabriel's current emotional state. Gabriel crossed her path of vision again, pushing his glasses up his nose as he continued to mumble to himself before running a hand through his pale blond hair. His eyes kept darting to his safe, impregnable and secure behind the portrait of his wife.

"I understand now," Gabriel mumbled as he approached the portrait, placing his hand gently over it.

Nathalie couldn't tell if he was talking to her or to himself.

His hand then began to slowly stroke down the many eyes that decorated the painting.

Gabriel cleared his throat, speaking louder this time. "If Nina Couture is back, it can only mean one thing."

"She's after the peacock miraculous," Nathalie answered, frowning at her memories of that woman.

Gabriel smirked. "Perhaps. But I do not believe that this is what she is truly after."

"Sir?"

"There is some information that my wife and I never relayed to even you, Nathalie." Gabriel's sad eyes returned to the face of his wife. "And there is little that she relayed to me."

Gabriel looked down, starting to look utterly distraught. He looked like he had lived a thousand lives, all of them painful and tiring. The hand that was resting on the portrait clenched into a tight fist before it relaxed again as Nathalie continued to watch him curiously, remaining as still as a statue. With his other hand, Gabriel stroked the purple brooch that was hidden just under his pastel pink jacket.

"I believe I know exactly what Nina is after, though I never believed the rumours my wife told me about," Gabriel spoke with a new-found determination in his voice.

"The rumours that –"

"YES, THOSE RUMOURS!" Gabriel lost his temper in an instant, twisting around and knocking all of his papers off his desk like a child having a tantrum. "THE VERY RUMOURS THAT I TOLD HER – NO – WARNED HER NOT TO BELIEVE! BUT SHE STUBBRONLY DECIDED TO MEDDLE ANYWAY AND GOT HERSELF –" Gabriel instantly cut himself off, fighting back sobs as he placed his head in his hand, rubbing his forehead in an effort to calm himself.

Nathalie cringed back slightly, away from his wrath, frightened and unsure whilst also trying to push back her own grief that was threatening to burst through. She had been quite close with Mrs. Agreste after she had hired her. The day she never returned from that trip was truly heart wrenching, and the Agreste household she served had never been the same again.

She had to watch Gabriel and Adrien suffer every day because of her absence. Gabriel never really discussed what he had found and what had possibly happened to her, but he had never been the same since. Gabriel's wife was the light of his life, the calm sun rays to his icy demeanour. But it was then that this magical world had been revealed to her, the very moment Gabriel walked through the front doors, carrying the butterfly brooch and the coded book; all that he could scavenge from what had happened. Though the use of the peacock brooch may have been more useful in Gabriel's quest, he instead chose to use the butterfly miraculous instead, as if the peacock miraculous was tainted. At the sight of it, Gabriel merely gazed upon it in disgust, sealing it away like his wife had done before him.

"Does that mean that…Ladybug…?" Nathalie asked quietly, worried about setting Gabriel off again.

"Most likely."

"Do you think she knows?"

"I highly doubt it. She would have been kept in the dark for the protection of the entire world. If I know my wife, that's what she would have suggested to any remaining guardian."

Nathalie looked down thoughtfully before her blue eyes darted back up. "Does this now mean you know who Ladybug is?"

"No. She kept the whole thing a secret, even from me. She didn't want to risk what was destined to come to pass," Gabriel explained with a hint of betrayal in his voice. "Nina will pay for everything she has done to my family."

"You're going to attack her?" Nathalie asked. "She would be incredibly vulnerable now without her miraculous."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes before walking back over to his desk. He sat down and clasped his hands together, deep in thought. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed, casting his grey eyes in shadows. Gabriel had never looked so menacing as a dark idea formed inside his head.

Not only will he get his beloved wife back and unite his family once again, but revenge will finally be his. Images of a broken Nina on the ground, begging for death swarmed around his head. The woman who had caused him so much grief, so much pain, would be at his mercy; a mercy he would not grant. Gabriel now knew to strike where it would hurt. He knew exactly what she was planning, and little did she know, that plan would work to his advantage.

"No," Gabriel finally responded, a sadistic smile on his face. "Nina is much too clever for a head on attack, with and without a miraculous. She'll know that I'll likely know that she's back in the city. She's teasing me…taunting me…she knows I would have figured it out by now. Nina likes to play games, so I'll simply play along…just like the old days."

Nathalie frowned in confusion. "I don't understand, sir."

"Ladybug will be a huge help in my revenge against her. Ladybug may be Nina's greatest strength in her little games, but also her greatest weakness. I just need to exploit that, and not only then will I have the Ladybug miraculous and my wish granted, but also revenge on Nina is the process."

"I think I now understand, sir." Nathalie grinned.

"All we need to do, is figure out who Ladybug is." Gabriel's sadistic smile widened as he turned to stare at a photograph of his smiling son that was placed on his desk. "And _Chat Noir,_ is going to lead us right to her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for my over month long absence. I needed to go on a bit of a hiatus as I had a lot going on in my life that I needed to deal with, and I just couldn't focus on writing. But I'm back now and feeling much better and refreshed. That means that this story will once again be updated every Wednesday. Thank you so much for your comments, bookmarks and kudos!


	13. Awkward Encounters

When she arrived back outside, Marinette felt like she had just woken up from a surreal dream. Had she really just done that? Agreed to effectively lie to and deceive her parents by secretly working for Nina Couture? Now that Marinette was out of Nina's presence, she was beginning to have second thoughts. Maybe she had been too hasty and should have talked to her parents properly when they had all calmed down. Instead, she had just ploughed in there and agreed to a work placement that she knew she didn't have her parents' blessing for.

Oh no, what had she done?!

Marinette couldn't fathom her own hypocrisy in that moment. She hated lying. She always had done. And now she was failing to practice what she preached. But…what Nina said was very insightful, and perhaps Marinette would even go as far to say she was right. This _was_ Marinette's dream. A dream that she needed to fight for. Not let anyone else dictate to her what she did with her life. Her fate as a superhero had already been chosen for her, so didn't Marinette have every right to pursue her dream as a fashion designer?

With her head now a confused and panicking mess, Marinette forced herself to walk back in the direction of home. She took her time though, still not really in the mood to go back and face her parents. No doubt they would want to talk to her, and Marinette wasn't sure she was ready to face them just yet. She had nowhere else to really go though. She wanted to be left alone to try and get her head straight.

With that thought, Marinette began gravitating towards the park near her home. It would be the perfect, quiet spot to just sit and try to relax. It was still hot and sunny out which made the idea even more tempting.

The park was pretty busy by the children's playground, but luckily, everywhere else was quiet and peaceful. Marinette quickly and easily found an empty bench as far away from everyone else as possible under the shade of a large oak tree. She sat down on the hard wood and opened her purse slightly to check on Tikki, and much to her surprise, her little kwami was glaring up at her.

"Marinette, just what do you think you're playing at?" Tikki demanded, her blue eyes sparkling in anger as she frowned at her holder.

"I – uh – what?" was all Marinette could stutter out in confusion.

"I heard everything that happened in that office," Tikki explained. "What do you think you're doing going behind your parents' backs like this?"

Marinette found herself shrugging slightly apathetically. She wasn't really in the mood for a lecture right now.

"I do it all the time."

Tikki sighed. "That's different, Marinette. You're saving Paris, and the lies are to protect you and your parents. This lie was selfish."

"Selfish?" Marinette's eye twitched slightly in anger. "Mom gives me mixed messages about this work placement. At first, she's all happy for me and the next minute I suddenly can't do it for no good reason. She knows how much this means to me, and yet she just didn't seem to care. And you call _me_ the selfish one?"

"Marinette, this really isn't like you," Tikki pointed out angrily, and Marinette could feel her body relaxing in defeat.

"I know Tikki." Marinette felt a lump rising in her throat. "I just…I've been stressing a lot lately. I really feel like that I'm just at some big crossroad in my life and I want to grab this opportunity. I'm scared, Tikki. Scared that I won't achieve my dreams."

"Marinette," Tikki spoke softly again, "you're letting yourself become too controlled by your emotions lately."

Marinette bit her lip. She knew Tikki was right, but honestly, she didn't know how to fix it. Things had been weird and out of control since she first had that weird dream in which she kissed Chat Noir. That simple dream just seemed to be the catalyst for everything that had gone wrong in her life lately. Everything just felt like it was a mess at the moment; a mess that no lucky charm would be able to fix. This was something that was going to take hard work on her part.

Firstly, she needed to stop being so weird around Chat. That would be easier said than done though, and she knew it. Her dreams were going from one extreme to the next, and quite frankly, it was dizzying. Maybe…it would be best to talk to Tikki about that. If she talked about it more openly with her trusted kwami, then maybe by not bottling it up so much, it would affect her less, and by extension, Chat Noir as well.

"Tikki?" Marinette nervously asked.

"Yes?"

"You know how you said that me dreaming of Chat Noir means I'm subconsciously longing for his presence?" Marinette began, her voice shaking slightly.

"Mmhmm." Tikki looked at Marinette slightly suspiciously.

"Well…" Marinette tried to force the words out. "Then what does it mean if I have a dream where he kills me?"

Marinette had never thought it was possible, but she could've sworn that all the colour drained from Tikki's face. The small red kwami froze with her stare becoming distant and unfocused. At her kwami's sudden and odd behaviour, Marinette began to panic. _Way to reassure me, Tikki,_ Marinette thought sarcastically to herself as she kept her eyes glued to the frozen red creature.

Starting to get even more scared, Marinette clicked her fingers in front of Tikki's face, wondering if she had broken her or something.

"Tikki?" Marinette begged for her kwami to snap out of it.

Marinette sighed with relief when Tikki's blue eyes came back into focus before they widened as they focused on something behind Marinette. The little kwami let out a small gasp before diving back into Marinette's purse and out of sight, causing Marinette to frown slightly in frustration.

"Oh no you don't," Marinette exclaimed, "you can't go all weird on me and then ignore me and hide!"

"Hey, Marinette," a slightly timid and confused familiar voice spoke from behind her.

Marinette let out a shriek that sounded like a wild animal getting captured. She slammed her purse closed before looking up to see none other than Adrien Agreste standing in front of her. He was regarding her with a slightly confused and concerned expression, his hand hanging loosely in the air in a half-wave greeting. Marinette's heart leapt into her mouth, and all she could do was gawk at the love of her life, completely dumbfounded.

This caused Adrien to look even more concerned, and he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he tried to think of something to say to diffuse the awkward situation.

"W-who were you shouting at?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Marinette unfroze, going to the opposite extreme of flailing her arms around wildly before pointing at her purse without thinking.

"Oh – umm – my purse? Yeah – my purse," Marinette gasped out, smiling widely and as innocently as possible.

Adrien's suspicious eyebrow didn't lower. "Your… _purse_?"

"Errr, yeah?" was all Marinette could lamely respond with.

"Okaaay then."

"I sometimes shout at inanimate objects, is that weird?" Marinette began to explain too quickly. "I'm forever losing my keys and my phone in my purse, so sometimes I…yell at it?"

Adrien's green eyes wandered over to the tiny pink purse that Marinette was carrying.

"I know what you're thinking: how is that possible? It's tiny! Well you see, it may look small, but it's actually quite spacious on the inside. But I think there's wormholes that open up in my purse. Yeah. You know what wormholes are, don't you? You like physics?" Marinette frowned. "I'll shut up now."

Adrien laughed, though he still seemed to be regarding Marinette with an element of suspicion that made her uncomfortable.

"If you say so, Marinette. You know, you're actually quite funny."

"Thanks. I'll be here all week." Marinette instantly cringed at her reply, feeling the oh-so-familiar blush appearing on her pale cheeks.

Adrien laughed again before gesturing to the space next to her. "Is this seat taken?"

Marinette struggled to contain her squeals of joy. Her knees bounced a few times before Marinette slapped her hands down on them to keep them still. She did her best to keep her smile as contained and polite as possible without letting it evolve into a cheshire cat grin of excitement; she'd creeped Adrien out enough for one day.

Barely managing to keep a hold of herself, Marinette nodded.

"Knock yourself out," she said, "although don't actually do that – that would be bad."

As Adrien turned around to sit down, she quickly facepalmed before returning to her previous position. Marinette's stomach exploded into a swarm of butterflies at the realisation that Adrien was sitting next to her. _Adrien Agreste was sitting next to her._ Marinette felt like she needed to pinch herself in order to be sure that she wasn't dreaming. She had acted so weird in front of him and yet he didn't want to run for the hills. Surely that was a good sign? Maybe now would be her chance to properly talk to Adrien alone and finally make some progress with him.

"So, what brings you here? I just got off a photoshoot here." Adrien asked, resting his arm against the back of the bench, just behind Marinette.

That action made her gulp, and her palms started to sweat.

No.

She could do this.

She could keep calm and hold a proper conversation with him without getting nervous.

It was the only way she was ever going to make progress with him. Acting like a giddy school girl whenever he was around was not doing her any favours. As a highly intelligent and high-class individual, Adrien probably wanted sophistication and eloquence in a girl, not babbling and weirdness. Marinette could be those first things it just…it was difficult around someone so gorgeous and handsome and amazing and –

_Get a grip, Marinette!_

"Oh, well…I guess I just needed some thinking space," Marinette answered honestly.

Adrien suddenly looked slightly concerned and leaned a little closer. "Oh? Are you alright?"

"I guess." Marinette looked down and rubbed the palm of her hands together before stretching her legs out and slouching slightly. "I had a fight with my mom, and I think…well, I've done something bad."

"Something bad?" Adrien asked incredulously. "Marinette, you're, like, the sweetest person I know."

Marinette smiled slightly, her cheeks turning pink, though her smile quickly fell again. "That doesn't mean I always do good things, Adrien. And today, I think I acted without thinking. I was just so angry and wanted to put myself first for a change."

"That doesn't necessarily make you a bad person," Adrien explained, "we all need to be a little selfish sometimes."

"I know, but," Marinette sighed out, "I think I went too far this time."

"Okay, why don't you explain to me what happened?" Adrien offered. "That is, of course, if you want to; I don't mean to pry."

Marinette looked up, smiling softly at him. "It's alright. It's just…remember how Nina Couture came to our school?"

When Adrien nodded, Marinette continued explaining.

"She offered me a work experience placement after she saw my work."

"That's fantastic, Marinette." Adrien's praise seemed oddly familiar, though Marinette couldn't quite place it right now.

"I thought so too." Marinette looked down glumly again. "I told my mom about it and she was really happy for me at first, but then, all of a sudden, she just did a complete one-eighty. She said she wasn't going to let me do it and that it would interfere too much with my schoolwork. So earlier I went to go and see Nina to tell her in person that I couldn't accept the placement and…I don't know what happened or what I was thinking! But one moment I was telling Nina I couldn't do it and the next I was just blindly accepting and planning to lie to my parents about it. I feel awful, but at the same time I still want to do this, and I just feel so confused."

Marinette finally finished her rushed explanation before burying her head in her hands in an effort to hide the fact that she was holding back tears. She jumped slightly when she felt a warm hand gently touch the top of her back, rubbing slow, soothing circles. Marinette felt like she could just melt under his touch. Her anxieties lifted slightly, and the pleasant, fuzzy feeling from his touch sent shivers to every inch of her body.

"If it makes you feel any better," Adrien comforted, "I understand how you feel."

Marinette peered out from her hands to gaze at him. Though his hand remained on her back, his green eyes were cast down in sorrow with his lip pouting slightly. He looked so broken and lonely that Marinette's eyes couldn't help but widen.

"My father tries to dictate every little detail of my life and it's draining, especially now that I'm older and have a mind of my own. I love him, of course I do, but…sometimes I just wish I had a normal, loving family," Adrien explained, his face becoming more pained with each word.

"What about your mother? Weren't you close with her?" Marinette asked without thinking.

Once she realised what she had just said, she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, her blue eyes widening with fear.

Seeing her reaction, Adrien shot her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, we were very close, but even she was incredibly overprotective of me."

"How come?"

"I guess it's just because both my parents are famous and they were worried about my safety in public or something. My parents have always been pretty paranoid people," Adrien explained

"What…what happened? To your mother?" Marinette asked slowly. "Sorry, we don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

"It's fine. Most people are too scared to ask, but…it helps me…to talk about it I mean. My father never really likes discussing it, so I just end up bottling everything up and I hate it." Adrien clenched his fist on his knee before relaxing it again. "Honestly…I don't know what happened to her. She just went on a trip to Tibet and…never came back."

Adrien began to shake slightly, and his hand clenched into a fist again. His eyes squinted as if he was trying to hold back tears, a sight that shattered Marinette's heart into a million pieces. He looked so lost, so hopeless, so vulnerable. Marinette wished she could somehow take all his pain away.

Unable to stand seeing him so upset, Marinette ignored her protesting nerves and sat up before wrapping her arms around him. Adrien froze at the unexpectedness before he relaxed and gently wrapped his arms around her in return. Marinette smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder, figuring that they both just really needed a hug right now.

The embrace lasted longer than was probably normal for friends, so it surprised Marinette slightly when Adrien didn't pull away. If anything, it felt like he was starting to hold on to her tighter, burying his face in her hair slightly, making Marinette blush again. Once again, Marinette found herself engulfed in that familiar, pheromonic scent that she just could not get enough off. Unable to resist, Marinette subtly inhaled deeply, savouring every moment until the sound of someone wolf whistling at them from a distance made them both jump back from each other.

Marinette and Adrien both smiled at each other awkwardly before Adrien looked away and rubbed the back of his head.

"Thanks…I think I needed that."

"Likewise," Marinette managed to squeak out, trying her best to hide her red face among her dark hair.

They remained in awkward silence for a few moments, neither of them daring to look at the other. Marinette could feel herself cringing inwardly on herself, and it felt like her mouth was full of cotton balls, the awful feeling preventing her from speaking. She was beginning to feel like she had blown it again by being too inappropriate.

But in that moment, Adrien just looked like he needed some show of affection that he was just so malnourished of. Now she had gone and made things awkward between them again. Just as she had seemingly got over her major stutter when talking to him. But…he had hugged her back…hadn't he? Or was Marinette so lost in her fantasies that she had imagined that sensation? Did he genuinely like the embrace or was he just being polite? Marinette began to bite her lip anxiously at the paranoid thoughts that began assaulting her.

"Do you want to go for a walk around the park?" Adrien finally broke the silence, and Marinette turned around to see him smiling happily at her.

His smile was an infectious ray of sunshine, and Marinette couldn't help but smile back despite her troubles and paranoid delusions. She nodded her reply, and Adrien stood up, offering his arm to her to her – ever the gentleman – and Marinette graciously, albeit very nervously, hooked her arm around his as she got to her feet.

Adrien began leading her down the path, keeping their arms locked together. Marinette kept her eyes on the ground, terrified that she would trip over and ruin this moment that she had dreamed about for so long now.

_It felt just like they were on a date!_

Marinette had to contain her squeals at that thought. She couldn't afford to get carried away and ruin this wonderful moment.

"I see that graze still looks pretty nasty."

There was a suspicious edge to the tone of Adrien's question that made Marinette's heart skip a beat. Was he still suspecting something? Was that what all of this was about?

Marinette knew that this moment was too good to be true. She decided it was best to play along anyway to try and look as innocent as possible. She wanted to slap herself for forgetting to apply her make-up today.

"Errr, yeah," Marinette responded as casually and as nonchalantly as she could.

"How come you're not wearing the make-up today?"

At least Marinette wouldn't have to lie to answer this question.

"With everything that happened with my mom today, I forgot. All my friends know about it now anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter so much."

"Mmm." Adrien sounded deep in thought and slightly frustrated.

"Is everything alright?" Marinette asked, keeping up the innocent act.

"Yeah, I'm good," Adrien responded a little too quickly before immediately changing the subject back to their original discussion. "So, what do you think you're going to do? Are you going to tell your parents the truth? Quit your placement?"

."I have no idea," Marinette sighed out, her voice was full of pain and defeat.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Adrien encouraged. "Personally, I don't think you should give up on what you want, but at the same time, and take it from me, parents always have a funny way of finding out if you've been lying."

"I know." Marinette threw her head back and groaned. "I just don't understand why my mom behaved so strangely over this whole thing. It's not like her at all."

"Then if it's not normally like her, then surely it must be for a good reason," Adrien mused.

"I can't think of said reason though." Marinette sighed before chuckling. "Unless she's hiding this big ultra-life changing secret from me."

She giggled at her own absurd joke, and Adrien chuckled with her.

"Your tiny baker mom?" Adrien asked incredulously. "I seriously doubt that. She probably is just worried about your schoolwork. I've seen your grades in some classes, and they're not exactly the best," he teased.

"Hey!" Marinette yelled, nudging him slightly before giggling. "I'm not that bad! I just…struggle slightly with the academic side of things sometimes, especially in science."

"Well, why don't I tutor you?"

Marinette fought the urge to slap herself to make extra double sure that she wasn't inside some wonderful dream right now. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up. Ever. This all just seemed too good to be true. _Adrien Agreste_ offering to tutor her!

"Oh, no, I couldn't."

Once again Marinette resisted the urge to hit herself over her polite reply. She wanted to scream, _YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!_ Then jump into Adrien's arms and he would carry her off into the sunset where they'd get married and have three children and be together forever!

However, Marinette had to play it cool. She was learning from her past mistakes with Adrien, and was trying to be her more confident self around him. This way, at least he would get to know the real her and not the stuttering, stumbling mess that she usually was around him. This would be her new tactic in getting close to him. As cheesy as it was, Marinette knew that she just needed to be herself.

"I'd be more than happy to help though. We both have a few study periods together. At least this way, you can do your work placement and keep up with your schoolwork," Adrien advised, seeming surprisingly eager to do this for her.

Marinette was becoming overwhelmed with his kindness. Adrien did make it seem like a great idea. She could spend time with Adrien, improve her work _and_ get to do her work placement without making her mom suspicious about her falling grades.

Wait…Marinette couldn't believe she was still acting like she was going to lie to her parents.

_Was_ she?

She didn't know. This was an issue that would have to wait for later, because right now, _Adrien hot stuff Agreste was offering to tutor her!_ This day was finally looking up!

"Well, sure then, if it's okay with you." It took every ounce of Marinette's energy to hide the many internal screams of happiness from her voice at that moment. _Be casual, Marinette, play it cool._

Adrien beamed. "Great, I guess I'll meet you in the library on Monday's study period."

Marinette smiled back and nodded before they continued to walk arm-in-arm through the park. Marinette really had to fight off the urge to faint at how romantic this was. She had to keep reminding herself that Adrien was only doing this as a friend. Friends linked arms, right? She did it all the time with Alya, and just because Adrien was a boy, it didn't necessarily mean that he was as madly in love with her as she was with him.

But one day, if Marinette continued to play her cards right, they could be walking hand-in-hand through this very park as a proper couple. The very thought almost Marinette squeal out loud, but luckily, she was able to keep a hold of herself.

"You call yourself an artist!"

A woman yelling snapped Marinette out of her thoughts.

Adrien and Marinette both immediately looked in the direction the yelling came from to see a tall red-haired lady shouting at a very stunned young man. He was covered in paint that looked like it had just been thrown on him. They were both standing next to a large canvas that appeared to be a painting of the red-haired lady as a pop star or something to that effect. Marinette thought that the painting looked really good, but obviously the woman didn't think so.

"I can't believe I paid ten euros for this garbage!" she continued to yell, gesturing frustratingly towards the painting.

The man shrank back slightly, but intense anger crossed his face. "Madame, I only did exactly what you asked. I paint people's dreams and you said you wanted to be a pop star."

"But you made me look awful! My nose is not that big! I'm taking my money back!"

The painter stepped back and blocked the woman from reaching into his shirt pocket to grab the money back.

"No refunds I'm afraid. Especially as I only did as you said," the painter tried to explain, which made the woman's face turn as red as her hair.

"You can stick your stupid painting then, you talentless thief!"

In her tantrum, the woman knocked the canvas off the easel and it fell to the ground with a loud clatter. In the process, all the painter's paints fell off too, some of them landing and drenching the artist in even more paint. In a sight sad to behold, the artist just stood there, unmoving, just letting the wet paint seep into his clothes and stain his skin a variety of colours.

The woman huffed, flicking her hair back before storming off, leaving the poor painter with all of the mess to clean up.

Adrien and Marinette both looked at each other worriedly before hurrying over together to see if he was alright. Just as they began trying to help him pick his things off the ground, he slapped their hands away in anger.

"Don't touch, just leave me alone!" he snapped.

"Are you alright, sir?" Adrien asked as both he and Marinette jumped back in alarm at his hostility.

"My passion, my work, my life's calling has just been insulted, of course I'm not okay. Now leave me alone!" the painter insisted, quickly picking his things off the ground.

"But –" Marinette tried to protest.

"I said go away!" the painter yelled, and Adrien wrapped his hand around Marinette's shoulder, gently pulling her away.

"Come on, Marinette," Adrien urged as he led them both away.

"But Adrien…" Marinette protested again, getting really worried about that poor man.

"If he doesn't want our help, then there's nothing we can do," Adrien sighed out sadly.

Marinette sighed as well, finally letting Adrien lead her away, but not before stealing one last glance at the painter who was still kneeling on the ground and picking his things up. However, her heart instantly stopped in her chest when she caught sight of the familiar dark purple butterfly flying towards him. The painter didn't seem to notice, and the akuma was easily able to infect one of his canvases, causing the painter to instantly go rigid.

"NO!" Marinette cried out, startling Adrien who whipped his head around to see what had Marinette crying out in alarm.

Adrien gasped as the painter transformed right in front of them into one of Hawkmoth's latest minions. His skin and clothes became a multi-coloured splattering of paint, and he turned around to grin menacingly at Marinette and Adrien, a purple butterfly appearing before his eyes as Hawkmoth seized control over him.

Out of instinct, Adrien and Marinette both threw protective hands in front of the other, accidentally hitting each other in the process before gazing at the other in confusion at their actions. Adrien frowned at Marinette suspiciously, causing her to gulp.

"I am Dreamscape!" the akumatized painter yelled, holding his paintbrush in the air. "Don't like my art? Well let's see how you fair when I paint you into your wildest dreams! I'm sure you'll find them quite… _realistic._ "

Dreamscape picked up his now blank canvas before throwing it at a nearby person who was instantly absorbed by the canvas. Other people in the park began screaming and running away in fear, which only caused Dreamscape to laugh manically.

Adrien grabbed onto Marinette's hand and instantly began leading her away. It was then that Marinette realised what an awkward situation she was in. She needed to make sure Adrien got somewhere safe before disappearing to transform without making him suspicious. But how exactly was she going to do that?

"Since you two were so kind to try and help me, of course I'm going to make sure that all of your dreams come true."

Dreamscape's laugh seemed to be approaching closer behind them, and Marinette managed to look back, just in time to see him raising his canvas in the air, ready to strike.

"Look out!" Marinette cried out to Adrien, letting go of his hand to push him out of the way and dive backwards herself just in time.

The magical canvas flew past them, just barely missing Marinette as both she and Adrien fell to the ground. With Adrien successfully distracted and now having his back to her, Marinette managed to slip behind a large tree trunk that was thick enough to obscure any view of her. She quickly opened up her purse to greet a ready and waiting Tikki.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette quickly commanded, and soon Ladybug was ready for action.

Ladybug darted back out from behind the tree just as Adrien managed to get up and turn around, looking slightly disorientated and panicked with Marinette no longer in sight. Dreamscape was about to throw another canvas towards him when Ladybug dashed over and grabbed hold of Adrien and pulled him away.

"Ladybug!" Adrien cried out. "What about Marinette?"

"She's safe, I got her out of there." Ladybug lied, hooking her yo-yo around a tree at the other side of the park.

Giving the string a gentle tug, it was soon pulling them both through the air with Ladybug keeping a tight grip on Adrien's waist. As they flung behind the tree, Ladybug slowly let go of him before peeping around the stump to see if they had been followed. Luckily, they hadn't, and Ladybug sighed with relief before turning back towards Adrien.

"Stay here," she ordered, not waiting for Adrien to respond as she ran back out to try and find Dreamscape.

It didn't take long. Dreamscape had begun running in the direction that the group of people had fled in earlier, his canvas hooked tightly under his arm.

Ladybug immediately began running after him, swinging her yo-yo before flinging her weapon forward and wrapping the string around his legs. Dreamscape immediately tripped over with a grunt before looking back to glare at Ladybug. Ladybug simply smiled back and began walking over ready to release the akuma from his canvas.

This caused Dreamscape to growl, and he reached for his paintbrush. He dipped it in the tube of black paint that was attached to his belt around his waist before waving it through the air. With the strokes of his brush, black wire began wrapping around Ladybug's legs, tripping her up in the process. She fell to the ground with a painful thud, and Ladybug let out a groan of annoyance.

"You'd make a lovely addition to my work." Dreamscape grinned before holding his canvas up and tossing at her.

Ladybug gasped and cringed backwards. However, the impact never came. Ladybug cried out in alarm as none other than Chat Noir dove in front of her, taking the hit for her.

_That stupid cat!_

"CHAT NOIR!" Ladybug screamed in horror as the instant the material touched his body, Chat disappeared, being absorbed into the canvas so quickly that if Ladybug had blinked, she would have missed it.

In a desperate rage, Ladybug tried to wiggle out of her restraints, but the wire had been wrapped tightly around her legs, rendering it almost impossible for her to stand up quickly and get away.

"Oh, don't worry my dear," Dreamscape chuckled out as he slowly picked up his canvas, "you'll soon be joining him."

Just as Dreamscape was about to throw his canvas at her, Ladybug managed to backflip herself off the ground before using the strong, impenetrable string of her yo-yo to cut the wires around her legs. The string of her yo-yo cut through them easily as if they were made of paper, and Ladybug quickly ran in the opposite direction to put some distance between them. She needed to finish this quickly in order to save Chat Noir and the others.

"Come back here you philistine!" Dreamscape yelled, but Ladybug ignored him.

It pained her that Chat Noir kept doing things like that for her. Ladybug had now lost count of how many times that he had sacrificed himself for her, and it now struck her that it may have been more than a case of chivalry or a mere noble act of a friend. His feelings for her were a lot deeper than Ladybug realised, and that thought caused her to trip over slightly and lose her footing.

The last thing Ladybug felt was something hard and light touching her now outstretched foot before her vision suddenly turned into a bright, blinding white light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to write and edit a chapter is always really hard when all your dog wants to do is play fetch with you. Thank so much for your kind comments and for leaving kudos! It helps me out so much! See you next week.


	14. Darkest Dream

Ladybug's eyes snapped open and she immediately sat bolt upright in bed. Cold sweat dripped from her skin and down her red and black spotted suit as she looked around the familiar yet familiar room. Something felt wrong about today, like Ladybug's dreams refused to surrender her to the day ahead.

Shaking her head, Ladybug rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, pushing the satin sheets off herself before she kicked her feet so they hung off the large queen-sized bed beneath her. The warm rays of the morning sun gently greeted her face, the light shimmering through the glass balcony doors that provided Ladybug with a beautiful view of all of Paris.

Ignoring the persistent foreboding feeling deep within the pit of her stomach, Ladybug forced herself to stand up. She softly ran her fingers down the translucent curtains in front of the double doors of the balcony, and she frowned slightly as her instincts kept screaming at her, despite no danger being present. It was such a beautiful day though. What could possibly have her on such high alert?

Shaking her head, Ladybug wondered if she just needed her morning coffee. She ran her fingers through her short hair in an attempt to maybe soothe her head, remembering with a nostalgic smile the twin pigtails she used to wear.

As she tried her best to silence her screaming instincts, Ladybug made her way downstairs, though for some reason, today had a slightly surreal feel to it. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was enough to make her feel weird and on edge.

Yeah, she definitely needed some coffee.

As Ladybug began to approach the kitchen, the sound of giggles of happiness made her automatically smile. She peeked around the doorway of the kitchen to see three small children all sat around a circular table that was pushed into the corner of the kitchen. The eldest boy and youngest boy almost looked identical with black hair and striking green eyes, both of them dressed in similar jeans and hoodies. They sat chatting and laughing with each other as they both ate a bowl of cereal. A baby girl, who looked no older than one-year-old, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes, was sat in a highchair giggling to herself as she watched her brothers.

Ladybug's heart melted at the sight of them, and she smiled softly to herself as she continued to watch them. However, her view was suddenly obscured by two black gloved hands clasping over her eyes.

"Guess who?" a familiar voice asked, chuckling behind her.

"Hmmm." Ladybug pretended to think. "I wonder who it could possibly be?"

She heard the children snigger.

"Maybe the only other person in the house? _Adrien_ ," Ladybug teased.

"Aww, you're no fun."

His hands released her eyes, and Ladybug spun around with a smirk on her face. Her blue eyes met his green cat-like ones, and his black leather cat ears drooped adorably and sullenly at her sarcasm. However, Chat couldn't keep up the act for very long, and soon he couldn't help but beam down at Ladybug before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

Ladybug leaned against him, unable to look away from his eyes, completely entranced. He had lost some of the roundness in his face, now looking much more mature, and his wild blond hair was now much thicker than before. Ladybug reached up to rest her arms against his shoulders, giggling slightly when Chat leaned down to rest his forehead against hers.

"On the contrary I can be loads of fun." Ladybug winked at Chat, which made him smirk deviously.

"Oh, I know you can, Marinette." His smirk grew wider just as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

Ladybug kissed him back just as eagerly, slowly opening her mouth to deepen the kiss and allow his tongue to explore her mouth and tangle with her own. Electricity pulsed through her body, and she pressed her chest closer against his, feeling empty, lonely and incomplete without having every inch of him pressed tightly against her. Chat quietly moaned into the kiss as he gripped her waist tighter while Ladybug entangled her fingers in his blond locks.

The sound of gagging and laughter nearby showered upon them like freezing cold water, and the both of them instantly pulled apart, gasping for air, before playfully glaring at their children.

"We're trying to eat here," the oldest boy pointed out, pushing his cereal bowl away in disgust.

"I'll remind you of that in ten years, Hugo, when you're kissing your future partner in front of us," Chat joked, wrapping his arm around Ladybug's shoulders and leading them both into the kitchen.

He then gently pushed down on her shoulders, making her sit down at the table before he made his way over to the counter, brewing her coffee and getting some food for them and little Emma.

"You don't have to do that, Adrien," Ladybug insisted.

"Can't I spoil my princess?" Chat winked at her. "It's one of your few days off today and I'm going to spoil you rotten."

"But –"

"No buts," Chat interrupted her playfully and sternly. "My amazing fashion designer wife deserves a break."

Ladybug sighed, relaxing back into her chair, deciding it was best to not continue protesting. She was flattered, and was indeed incredibly tired from all of the hard work she had to deal with at her fashion business lately. The autumn line was coming out soon and Ladybug needed to make sure that she was on top of everything, giving certain designs the go-ahead, as well as trying to organise all of her employees. She was so grateful for this day off. She would actually get to spend some quality time with her family today, whom she worried she had been neglecting slightly these past few weeks.

Ladybug gazed guiltily at her children as they ate. However, the more she gazed at her children, the more Ladybug felt herself frowning in confusion. Her life…it was…everything she had ever wanted. She was a famous fashion designer, married to the love of her life and had three beautiful children. It was the life that she had always imagined for herself when she was younger. But for some reason it felt… _off_. Ladybug would even go as far to say it felt… _wrong_.

Ladybug shook her head.

No.

Her life was perfect and she should be grateful; it was wrong to doubt it.

Yes, her life was indeed perfect, Ladybug thought happily to herself as she ate breakfast with the family she had always wanted. Chat wasn't kidding when he said he was going to spoil her. He sorted the children out all by himself, shooting her a glare whenever she attempted to intervene and help out. It still hardly seemed fair though. Chat had been doing most of the work with their children lately, so wasn't it more appropriate for her to be doing most of the work with them today?

Ladybug shook her head at Chat's logic. She loved him for it though.

"So!" Chat clapped his hands together once he was finished cleaning up. "What shall we do today?"

"The park!" both boys squealed, jumping out of their seats.

"'Ark!" Baby Emma tried to join in.

"The park it is then." Ladybug chuckled. "You boys better both get your shoes on then," she added as she picked Emma up out of her high chair.

The two boys instantly ran into the hallway to get their shoes on. Chat helped Ladybug put Emma into her stroller, and Ladybug laughed as Chat insisted on pushing her like an excited child. Ladybug relented, locking the front door behind them once they had all made their way outside. They passed through their front gates before walking down the street to where the park was, both boys running ahead with Ladybug keeping an eye on them, making sure they didn't stray too far away or run out into the road.

Once they arrived at the park, the two boys ran off towards the playground while Ladybug and Chat Noir both sat with Emma on the grass and watched. Ladybug kept having to make sure that Emma wasn't picking the grass and putting it in her mouth as she let her daughter begin crawling around. Ladybug leaned her head against Chat's shoulder as she watched her children. Everything was so perfect. She had achieved everything that she had wanted to out of life.

However, Ladybug still couldn't shake off that nagging feeling that something was wrong. Her life was perfect so why should something be wrong?

This park…it seemed almost…familiar.

It felt like something obvious was screaming at Ladybug at a frequency that she couldn't quite pick up.

This park…shouldn't she have been doing something?

Ladybug soon found herself on high alert for any sign of danger. There was something about this park, which she had been visiting ever since she was a small child, that was making her head hurt. It was like a memory was scratching at her brain, begging for attention, but Ladybug just couldn't quite locate it.

Was there something at work she had forgotten to do? No, surely a member of her staff would have called her if there was something she needed to do. But Ladybug felt like she was forgetting something incredibly important. And it had something to do with this park.

At those thoughts, Ladybug's vision began to blur and contort before everything around her glitched for a split second, as if she was inside a damaged video game.

Ladybug instantly stood up, beginning to panic as her terrible feeling did not vanish, even when her vision returned to normal. Ladybug felt like her heart was beating in her ears, painfully pulsing away as the world around her continued on as if nothing strange had just happened.

Had Ladybug finally cracked?

"What is it, Mari?" Chat asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Did you not just see that?" Ladybug gasped out as her eyes continued to dart around.

She instinctively reached down and pulled Emma towards her, and her eyes darted over to Hugo and Louis to make sure they were okay. They continued to play on the swings and, like everyone else, didn't seem to notice that anything weird had just happened.

"See what?" Chat started to sound slightly freaked out.

"Everything…it was like it just… _glitched_?" Ladybug tried to explain as best she could without sounding crazy.

Maybe she _was_ crazy. Hearing herself saying what happened out loud made Ladybug doubt what she had just witnessed. Chat was right. Maybe she did work too hard and now she had finally snapped.

"Looks like I was right," Chat mused, his eyebrows furrowing, "you _are_ in dire need of a break."

Ladybug sighed as she hugged Emma tighter and protectively against her chest. She looked around the park one last time before sitting back down, shuffling close to Chat slightly, but her heart refused to calm down. Ladybug had never felt more alert. Alarms were blaring inside her mind, and her gut kept screaming and clawing at her. All Ladybug could coherently translate from it was that something was dreadfully wrong.

Goosebumps rose on Ladybug's skin as the atmosphere felt heavy. What was it about today that had Ladybug so on edge? Everything seemed so normal yet abnormal at the same time.

The temperature dropped, and Ladybug began to see her breath in front of her as the warm air from her lungs collided with the now much cooler air around her. No one else seemed phased though. Everything seemed to glitch violently again, zig zagging lines flashing across her vision like a bad television reception. Everyone else in the park, including her children seemed to freeze in place, their faces flickering and blurring like static. Their features melted away, and their eyes, noses and mouths were replaced with deep black holes. The abysses which had appeared on their faces turned towards Ladybug, staring at her, cold and empty.

Sweat dripping from her brow, Ladybug slowly looked down to see that Emma had the exact same dark holes in her face, and was staring up at her with an expressionless look on her void covered face.

Ladybug screamed and darted upright, backing up slowly as her blue eyes scanned everyone's faces. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut before opening them again, praying that this was some sort of hallucination due to her exhausted and stressed state.

That wasn't the case though. The dark voids on the faces of everyone around her remained, and they all tilted their heads to the side in unison as they continued to stare at her.

"Marinette, what's wrong?!" Chat cried out in alarm as he stood up, not seeming to notice the fact that his baby daughter had giant holes in her face.

Chat, however, apart from Ladybug, seemed to be the only remaining normal person. His handsome features remained perfect with no black holes on his face to be seen.

Ladybug's reply became stuck behind a lump of intense fear in her throat. The sky was now stained a blood red colour, and the world around her growing dark as the people in the park began to slowly walk towards her, their arms outstretched is if wanting to grab her. Ladybug backed away, and Chat's eyes widened in alarm.

"Marinette, please!" he begged, slowly taking a cautious step towards her, his expression unsure and terrified.

"Do you not see them?!" Ladybug finally managed to shriek out.

"See what?"

"Their faces!" Ladybug screamed, moving her hands up to grip her hair as her eyes remained wide, wild and terror-stricken. "This isn't right, this world isn't right."

"No, Marinette, everything is fine," Chat tried to reason with her.

"It's all wrong!" Marinette shrieked before closing her eyes tightly shut and covering her head with her hands in the hopes of keeping her obviously fracturing mind together.

A loud screech suddenly echoed around her, like finger nails pressing and sliding firmly down a chalk board. Instinctively, Ladybug covered her ears, unable to control the tears of pure fear that brewed in her eyes. Ladybug had never been in a situation like this before; she didn't know what to do. It was like she was living in a nightmare.

Wait a second…nightmare…dream…

The latter word echoed around in her head in a familiar male voice that she felt like she had recently heard. Dream…that word felt like it held some significant importance, but it felt like the memory was just out of her reach.

Ladybug nearly jumped out of her skin when warm arms wrapped around her. She opened her eyes to see Chat's black leather covered chest obstructing her vision. He embraced her tightly, resting his cheek against the top of her head before giving her forehead a gentle kiss and pulling away slightly so he could look at her. Ladybug remained trembling in his arms, and tears stained her cheeks which startled Chat even more.

"A-Adrien?" Ladybug stuttered out, checking to make sure he was real.

"Marinette, will you please tell me what is going on?" Chat pleaded with her, placing a finger under her chin and making her look him in the eyes.

As she gazed into Chat Noir's eyes, something clicked. _Chat Noir_. Why was she calling Chat Noir by Adrien's name? That wasn't his name. She did not know Chat Noir's real name. It was almost as if the reality around her was behaving like a…dream.

_That's it!_

The memories of fighting Dreamscape thrusted themselves violently to the forefront of her mind, like a car crashing into a wall at one hundred miles an hour. The force sent Ladybug's mind reeling as everything came rushing back to her. She must have been hit by one of his canvases. No wonder everything had seemed so perfect. He had given her visions of her dream life!

"This isn't real," Ladybug whispered, gripping Chat Noir's leather suit so tightly that if it had been made from any other material, Ladybug was sure to have ripped it.

"What?" Chat asked.

"This isn't real," Ladybug repeated, louder this time.

She slowly loosened her grip on Chat's suit and began slowly backing away. Chat's eyes grew even more pained and panicked as Ladybug continued to take slow steps backwards. The world around them had melted into pure darkness to a point in which all Ladybug could see was the glow of Chat Noir's pain filled green eyes. The Chat Noir in front of her sure seemed to be the best illusion in her dreams right now.

"I'm being toyed with," Ladybug whispered to herself.

"You can't leave me! Not now, not after everything!" Chat suddenly called out to her, sounding like a man on the brink of losing everything, shocking Ladybug to a brief standstill.

No. _He wasn't real_ , Ladybug kept telling herself. This illusion was just to keep her distracted so she wouldn't be able to stop Dreamscape.

"You mean the everything that wasn't even real!" Ladybug called out back to him, their voices echoing in the void.

"But we could have that again!" Chat begged, it sounded like he was holding back tears. "It was all real, and it could all be real again!"

Ladybug growled. This magic was amazingly strong and real sounding.

"I am not a toy to be played with."

With that, Ladybug turned her back on the now dim glow of Chat Noir's desperate and pleading eyes and took off running. Where she would run to, she didn't know. She just knew that she needed to find a way to escape this nightmare and back to sanity. Paris needed her, and she was technically sleeping on the job right now.

Looking frantically around in the darkness for some form of light, Ladybug kept running, even as her lungs started to burn and protest. Her muscles pleaded with her to stop and rest, but Ladybug knew she couldn't afford to. Much to her frustration, her movements felt like they were going slower and slower each passing second. It was beginning to feel like she was running underwater. She thrashed her arms forward in an attempt to drag herself along in what felt like a thickening air.

It didn't work, and Ladybug continued to flail around in vexation, trying in vain to make herself move faster, or at least at a normal running pace. The void around her was deathly silent, causing Ladybug's ears to ring and creepily allowed her to even hear her own blood pumping through her body.

As she continued to run ever so slowly forward, a very dim yellow light began to appear in the distance. Ladybug found herself sighing slightly in relief at the sight of something other than pure darkness, though she still remained petrified and cautious as she continued to run towards it. The light grew brighter and larger as Ladybug approached. Her movement began to return to a normal pace and she no longer felt like she was running in slow motion.

However, Ladybug froze when something cold and wet touched the back of her neck. Now at a standstill, Ladybug slowly touched the back of her neck, sighing slightly in relief as she felt her familiar pigtails in their usual place; her normal sixteen-year-old body was back.

Ladybug carefully touched the tiny wet patch on the back of her neck before pulling her fingers away to inspect them. A tiny water droplet sat on her finger with small ice crystals inside that continued to melt against the heat of her body. Ladybug gazed upwards into the dark void to see more tiny little flakes of snow falling down.

Feeling unnerved, Ladybug pressed on, walking now instead of running in order to pay closer attention to what was ahead of her.

The closer she got to the yellow light, the larger the snowflakes became, and the heavier they fell. Soon, Ladybug felt like she was walking through a blizzard. She could feel the cold through her suit, though it didn’t bother her too much. Her breath came out in wispy puffs of smoke that swirled gracefully in front of her face before disappearing, and layers of snow appeared beneath her feet, becoming deep enough to almost reach Ladybug's knees.

She trudged onwards through it, confused and scared over what was happening, but at the same time, morbidly curious. Was she still dreaming? Had she finally found a way out only to teleport to the top of a mountain?

The latter seemed to be the most likely case. Or, at least, she was definitely on a mountain.

The ground beneath her sloped to such an angle, that Ladybug had a challenging time walking straight without slipping and falling. The sky was dark and stormy, with snow blowing all around her, making it difficult for Ladybug to see more than a few feet in front of her. The light was still visible though, and Ladybug used it as her beacon of guidance, like a lost ship would use a lighthouse.

Ladybug couldn’t help but become transfixed by the light ahead of her. It was like it was calling to her, the light's warmness reaching into her very soul, begging for her to approach. Ladybug could not resist the call of this siren.

As the wind howled around her, Ladybug suddenly couldn't help but halt at the sight of something red. The snow just in front of her was stained crimson red by, what Ladybug assumed with a pounding heart, blood. A trail of blood.

Ladybug's eyes followed the stains of fresh blood that seeped into the pure whiteness of the snow, and realised with a gasp that it was leading directly to the yellow light in the distance. Did she dare continue to follow it now? Maybe someone needed her help? At that sinking thought, Ladybug's superhero instincts couldn't help but kick in, and her mind was instantly made up.

Ladybug continued on.

The blood stains in the snow became thicker and larger, and Ladybug bit her lip, starting to feel slightly faint at the sight. The wind and snow continued to pound against her body, like tiny, powerful cold fists punching every inch of her. Her face was beginning to feel numb, and she wrapped her arms around herself both for warmth and as a source of comfort.

The yellow light grew even bigger and brighter. Ladybug's eyes widened slightly before squinting again to protect them from the storm as she heard what sounded like a woman sobbing. Ladybug was not alone. Someone was definitely out here, hurt, and maybe even as lost as she was.

The cries were gargled and slightly animalistic, at times sounding almost like a wounded bird. The closer Ladybug got to the light, the more she could start to make out what looked like a hunched over hooded figure. That's when Ladybug realised the source of the light. It was a lantern. The hunched figure was sat next to it, facing away from Ladybug, a pool of bright, fresh, red blood flowed into the snow around her, forming a lake around her.

At that sight, Ladybug froze.

The woman didn’t seem to notice her presence. She just continued to cry in a pain that was indescribable. Whoever this person was, they sounded like the most tortured soul on the planet.

Ladybug found herself too terrified to say anything and remained as frozen as the snow and ice around her. Something deep inside Ladybug was screaming at her to _run!_ Run away and never look back. Ladybug fought it off though. This woman was clearly in a lot of pain and seriously injured; she needed Ladybug's help.

Cautiously, Ladybug took a step forward, bracing herself slightly as the deep snow crunched beneath her foot.

The woman did not react.

Growing slightly more confident, Ladybug took another few steps forward before stopping just beyond arm's reach of the mysterious woman. Again, the woman did not move, seemingly still not noticing Ladybug's presence. Her dark blue cloak billowed out around her in the intense wind, though her figure and features remained hidden.

Ladybug jumped as she threw her head back and let out a scream of pure, unadulterated agony. The sound tore at Ladybug's heart, and her compassionate nature cried out for her to help this poor woman while her instincts continued to hold her back. The woman's scream continued to echo throughout the mountains, bouncing off the snow before it was carried many miles by the racing wind.

Ladybug's ears rang slightly when it was all over, and she moved to take a step around her to view the woman from the front. As the young hero slowly side stepped around her, the woman's face still remained hidden in her cloak, though the cloak had opened up slightly at the front.

The sight that greeted Ladybug made her gasp loudly and gag simultaneously.

The woman was crouched on her knees, only the top half of her body dressed in a shirt. What skin of her bare legs was visible was as pale as the snow around them. The rest was dripping in thick blood, and it cascaded down her legs like the waterfalls of hell. The woman's hands covered her crotch where the blood appeared to be oozing out from.

The strange woman screamed again, and Ladybug stumbled back slightly before falling onto her back in the snow. Panicking that the woman was now not in her line of sight, Ladybug quickly whipped her head around to gaze back at the woman again. Though her hood remained covering her head, Ladybug felt every nerve of her body turn to ice at the sight of two bright orange eyes staring menacingly at her from beneath the hood.

As her blue eyes locked with the glowing orange ones of the woman in front of her, Ladybug cried out in fear as she felt a warm arm lock around her waist and begin pulling her away at lightning speed. The stormy mountain shrank and faded away as warm thin fingers stroked through her hair soothingly. Ladybug couldn't bring herself to fight against the warm presence that had whisked her away from that awful scene.

She closed her eyes gently in relief, beginning to relax slightly. Maybe she was finally getting out of this awful nightmare. With eyes still closed, Ladybug felt like the world around her had begun to spin, and the warm arms around her disappeared before being replaced by a solid, hard surface that she seemed to be laying down on.

Ladybug's eyes snapped open, revealing a starry sky above her and when she looked to her left, the view of the dark silhouettes of Parisian buildings greeted her. All was quiet and calm, not a beep of a horn or the rev of an engine.

_Oh no. Not again!_

At the realisation of what was going on, Ladybug darted upright and leapt to her feet. This all felt way too uncomfortably familiar to her at this point. Her blue eyes scanned all around her before resting on two glowing green cat-like eyes between two tall chimneys. With a grin on his face, Chat Noir slowly stepped forward, his hands clasped casually behind his back. Ladybug frowned at him and took and automatic step back.

At this, Chat Noir frowned.

"What is it with you and running away from me lately?" he asked with a hint of betrayed annoyance.

"I – I just…" Ladybug then squashed her guilt down and her frown deepened. "This isn't real…none of this is real."

Chat merely chuckled, continuing to walk closer. Ladybug took a step back for each step forward that he took, and soon she found her back colliding with a chimney behind her. She was trapped. Like cornered prey, Ladybug began to panic, and it felt like her heart might thud directly out of her chest when Chat stopped directly in front of her, blocking her escape. He gently raised one gloved hand to stroke her cheek softly and lightly, barely touching her, but the electricity it sent pulsing through her body had Ladybug instantly melting and weak at the knees. Chat smiled at her obvious reaction to his touch.

"Does this feel real to you?" he asked, and Ladybug gulped and nodded, making Chat Noir's smile widen even more. "How could you think that anything we had together was fake?" His tone carried an element of impossible to conceal hurt.

Ladybug found herself in a confused, tingling mess, lost for words. Chat raised his hand to brush a stray strand of hair out of Ladybug's face, his eyes gentle and loving. Ladybug found herself unable to tear herself away and fight back at the illusion. Everything about him felt so real. The warm feeling of his chest that barely brushed her own, the feel of his left hand on her waist, and his right hand that came back down to rest on her cheek. Even his thick delectable scent hung in the air around her, submerging her, drowning her.

It was all too much. He was the forbidden fruit that she just had to take a bite of. In that moment, Chat was everything she ever wanted and _more._ He was an oasis in the middle of a vast, dry desert. A warm light of a fire in a dark, stormy night. He was all she ever _needed._

With a gasp, their lips collided together hungrily and passionately. They gripped each other tightly, as if afraid they would drift apart from each other. Chat traced his tongue around Ladybug's lips, begging for entrance, and she was more than happy to oblige. She gripped his soft, gold locks tightly, pulling him impossibly close to her while his hands traced around her waist and up the small of her back. Unfortunately, they both needed to breath, and they eventually slowly pulled back from each other, panting for air as their eyes remained hooded as they gazed at each other.

However, Ladybug's gaze couldn't help but be briefly captured by something glowing brightly just behind Chat Noir's shoulder. The stars above them began morphing from twinkling points of light into round, glowing orange eyes. Ladybug found herself completely bound to their gaze, unable to look away or move even a millimetre. Her whole body became stiff, and it felt like Ladybug was forced into the back of her own mind, losing all feeling and control over her own body.

The orange eyes continued to stare at her, unblinking and hypnotically. Out of nowhere, Ladybug felt an intense anger consuming her, setting her whole body ablaze that could only be extinguished by the removal of Chat Noir's ring.

Of its own accord, and startlingly without any input from Ladybug, her hand reached down to Chat's that was still wrapped around her waist.

Chat gasped at the sudden change in Ladybug's eyes and the feel of her hand slowly reaching for his ring. He immediately jumped back, and Ladybug growled in frustration and pain. Every cell inside her burned, screaming at her to get his miraculous. She wanted it. She needed it. Those two phrases whirled around her mind, continuing to chant like a mantra. It was all her mind, body and soul could focus on.

Chat Noir's eyes widened in fear and concern before he jumped out of the way as Ladybug once again attempted to make a swipe at him and obtain his miraculous. She could see the betrayal, hurt and confusion in his eyes, but Ladybug didn't care. Spurred on by that thought, Ladybug leapt towards him and he easily dodged, beginning to make a run for the Eiffel Tower which loomed darkly in the distance. Ladybug followed, crying out wildly as she chased him up the tower, leaping from one thick metal bar to the next.

Once they reached the top, Ladybug gasped as she finally managed to regain some semblance of control after seeing the vulnerable expression on Chat's face.

What was she doing?! Why was she hunting down her partner for his miraculous? She wasn't interested in his power. Ladybug could feel the fire that had possessed her pushing against her free will in an attempt to regain control again, but Ladybug forced it back just enough to make a snap decision.

"T-this is all j-just a dream," she managed to gasp out, "I-I h-have to p-put an end to t-this."

"What are you talking about?" Chat demanded, gazing at her worriedly.

"None of t-this is real," Ladybug continued, "y-you're not real."

Ladybug knew there was only one way to forcibly wake yourself up from a dream.

She frowned in determination as she peered down at the insane drop below them, continuing to lose the fight against the raging inferno that had her wanting Chat's miraculous.

No more.

She needed to stop this and save Paris.

Chat Noir followed her line of sight before his eyes widened as he realised what Ladybug was thinking.

"Ladybug, NO!" Chat screamed as he reached to grab her.

He was too late though. Ladybug flung herself off the edge of the top balcony of the Eiffel Tower.

She let her body fall limply in the air like a rag doll, ignoring Chat Noir's screams above her.

The city buildings, roads and trees began to disintegrate into blue and orange feathers around her as she fell faster and faster through the air and into the dark void below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the day delay in updating. This week has just been so hectic and stressful. I'm just a ball of angst at the moment, so I hope that I haven't missed any glaring typos in this chapter. Thank you so much for your comments, kudos and bookmarks as always! It really helps me out!


	15. Bad Omen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains descriptions of a panic attack.

When Ladybug's eyes snapped open, she immediately closed them again, groaning as she was blinded by the intense white light in front of her. She was drenched in cold sweat, and her chest heaved with her laboured breathing. Raising her arms protectively above her head, Ladybug slowly opened her eyes again, and in front of her was nothing but a blank whiteness. It then dawned on Ladybug that she was lying down, and she quickly bolted upright. In that instance, all her memories came flooding back to her.

Ladybug had been right. It had all just been a dream.

Ladybug repressed her shaken and traumatised feelings from her ordeal as her eyes began darting around, trying to figure out where exactly she was now. Was she still dreaming?

However, Ladybug soon let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw Chat’s unconscious form not far from her. She immediately sprang to her feet and ran towards him before dropping down onto her knees next to him. Chat Noir was curled into a tight ball, fast asleep, his face scrunched up into a tense expression, and every so often, he would let out a whimper.

Desperate to free her partner from Dreamscape's spell, Ladybug began gently shaking him.

"Chat!" she yelled at him when her gentle shaking didn't work. "Chat!"

She began shaking him harder this time, and at last, his eyes snapped open, bulging slightly as he looked around in shock, horror and confusion before his green cat-like eyes finally settled on Ladybug's face.

"L-Ladybug?" he stuttered out.

Some of his blond locks stuck to the sweat on his brow as he stared at Ladybug in terror and confusion.

Ladybug sighed with relief before smiling down at him. "Wakey wakey, Kitty."

"Ladybug!" Chat gasped out again before he yanked her down without warning, holding onto her tightly and burying his face in her neck.

He clung onto her for what felt like dear life, his entire body trembling, and he sniffed as if he was trying to repress a sob. What on earth had he been dreaming about? Unable to find it in her heart to push him away for overstepping her boundaries, especially with everything that had happened between them lately, Ladybug wrapped her arms around him in return, feeling like she needed a little bit of comfort herself after everything she too had experienced.

She gently stroked his hair as he continued to hold back sobs.

"Sssh," Ladybug warmly and gently comforted him.

"I thought I'd lost you," she heard Chat mumble into her dark hair, the vibration of his voice tickling her neck slightly as he nuzzled into her.

Strange…Ladybug had nearly died in her own dream, throwing herself off the top of the Eiffel Tower like she did. However, Ladybug knew it was very highly unlikely they experienced the same dream. They both had different dreams and aspirations in life. Maybe Chat had realised what was happening like she had, and it morphed into some kind of twisted nightmare for him as well.

That sure was some powerful akuma magic.

"I'm fine, Chat, I'm right here," Ladybug did her best to reassure him while images from her own dream began to bombard her.

The glitching, the dark void, those orange eyes watching her, the blood soaked lady on the mountain side…her attacking Chat. Those last two startled Ladybug the most. Who was that woman? Why in the world would she dream about something like that? Those orange eyes she possessed…they looked just like the eyes she saw in the sky before she suddenly felt the uncontrollable urge to attack Chat Noir and steal his miraculous. Had she been…akumatized or something?

The memories caused Ladybug to begin shaking slightly too, and she pulled away from Chat slightly to look around, focusing on the task at hand as a distraction. Everywhere around them was just a white emptiness.

"I see you've managed to wake up," a loud, booming voice came from above them. "I hope you had sweet dreams."

Ladybug and Chat Noir instantly gazed upwards at where the voice was coming from. It looked like there was a window miles and miles above them. A window to the outside world. Dreamscape was grinning down at them, and that's when it dawned on Ladybug: they were trapped inside his canvas.

"Let us out, Dreamscape!" Ladybug demanded.

Dreamscape pretended to think for a moment before smirking again. "I'll tell you what, I'll let you live in your dream world forever if you hand me your miraculous."

"That wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare!" Ladybug snapped, struggling to contain the shudder as orange eyes stared at her from inside her memory, sending a chill down her spine.

Dreamscape rolled his eyes. "Only because you became self-aware. Your subconscious went haywire, affecting my magic."

Ladybug glared at him. "So, it _was_ you who gave me those horrifying visions."

That made Ladybug relax slightly. There was no woman trapped on a mountain bleeding to death, and she wasn't going to betray Chat Noir and try to steal his miraculous. They were all just dreams and visions conjured up by Dreamscape to toy with her and keep her trapped in her dreams so she wouldn't be able to stop him.

However, Dreamscape's next words gave Ladybug the most intense sinking feeling she had ever experienced.

"I didn't do all that," Dreamscape explained, looking annoyed and impatient. "I have no idea what you all dreamed about, my magic only absorbed you and sent you into a deep sleep where you dreamed about your desires and your memories, using your subconscious against you to keep you occupied."

"What?" Ladybug gasped, her eyes widening slightly with fear and confusion.

Chat shot her a weird look, but Ladybug ignored it.

"Time is running out, Ladybug and Chat Noir," Dreamscape mocked, "hand over your miraculous, and in exchange, you can live in your dream world forever with no nightmares to corrupt them this time; just endless perfection." Dreamscape held his hand out, waiting.

"In your _dreams._ " Chat smirked, making Dreamscape growl in frustration before he grinned again.

"Fine, since you're still trapped in there, I can just personally hand you over to Hawkmoth myself," he explained, shrugging his shoulders in apathy before Ladybug and Chat Noir felt him pick up the canvas they were trapped in, ready to be taken to Hawkmoth.

"I hope you have a plan, my lady," Chat whispered to her nervously. "Hey, do you think I should use my cataclysm to get us out of here?"

Ladybug shook her head. "Not sure I want to risk it with us both inside."

Ladybug then grabbed her yo-yo that was attached to her waist and swung it into the air.

"Lucky charm!" She called out before catching the item that had been created. Ladybug looked down in confusion. Some paint and a paintbrush. What was she supposed to do with these?

"I hope you've _brushed up_ on your painting skills, my lady," Chat remarked as he too stared at the items in confusion.

Ladybug stared down at the paints and then at Chat Noir's ring, then back at the paints again. She had been given three colours: red, black and green.

_That's it!_

"I've got it! Chat, you're a genius!" Ladybug smiled excitedly as she dipped the paintbrush into the black paint.

"I am? I mean, of course I am! Wait…what did I do?" Chat asked, watching as Ladybug then moved the paintbrush in a circle through the air, the black paint staining the canvas they were trapped in.

Ladybug stuck her tongue out in concentration as she painted the inner circle. Every so often her eyes would dart to Chat's ring as she copied it out in front of her, right down to the last detail, making sure it was actual size. She then smirked as she saw Chat's eyes light up as he realised what she was doing when she dipped the paintbrush into the green paint.

"I think I'm starting to _get the picture_ now."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but otherwise continued painting, moving onto her earrings as soon as she was done painting the green paw print that glowed brightly on Chat Noir's ring. Painting her miraculous was a little easier, just two simple red circles with black dots on the inside. When she was done, Ladybug wiped her forehead and stepped back slightly, away from the floating realistic paintings in front of her.

Chat Noir let out a low whistle.

"I never knew you had a talent for art, LB," he praised as he admired her handy work. "Those look really good."

"Thanks." Ladybug then turned to Chat, ready to give him his instructions, however she froze when she caught sight of him, stiff as a plank of wood, staring at her intensely.

Ladybug frowned at him as he looked like he was trying to solve a complicated math problem in his head. He appeared to be freaking out slightly, which spooked Ladybug, but she knew that they both had a job to do.

She snapped her fingers in front of Chat's line of sight which made him jump and snap out of it.

"Earth to Chat," Ladybug called, and Chat looked at her nervously before looking away again, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

Ladybug wondered what had him so freaked out all of a sudden, however, now was not the time to ask. They needed to defeat Dreamscape before he managed to bring them both to Hawkmoth.

"Okay," Ladybug began, grabbing hold of Chat's arm and pulling him towards the painting of his miraculous, "just put your hand behind it to make it look like you're holding it."

Chat nodded, doing as he was told. Ladybug did the same thing before whistling to attract Dreamscape's attention. It worked, and he paused before peering down into the canvas before glaring down at them. Ladybug waved before gesturing to the painted miraculous just in front of her hand, making sure to keep the paint pots hidden behind her legs.

"Look Dreamscape, you win." Ladybug put on a fake defeated voice. "We'll give you our miraculous if you let us out."

She pointed to the fake earrings she was pretending to hold. Ladybug and Chat Noir then both held their breath, hoping with everything in them that Dreamscape would buy it. The akumatized artist narrowed his eyes at them before squinting even more in an effort to try and see the miraculous jewellery in their hands. He then smirked, and Ladybug's heart thudded loudly in her chest at the suspense.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Dreamscape mocked, and soon a bright light surrounded both Ladybug and Chat Noir.

When they opened their eyes, Ladybug realised they were back in the park. Hardly any time appeared to have passed from the time she was captured until now. Her dreams had felt like they had lasted for hours, but in reality, it seemed like only a few seconds had gone by. It was slightly disorientating.

Ladybug shook off the dizzying sensation before smirking at Dreamscape. His eyes went immediately to their hands, and his face dropped slightly when he realised the miraculous weren't there. Ladybug heard her earrings beep, and she knew she had to get this over and done with quickly now.

"Your miraculous! Where are they?!" Dreamscape demanded before looking back at the canvas where the small paintings remained. "How…?"

"I'll take that!" Chat laughed as he snatched the canvas up before bringing his knee up to break it in half. It snapped neatly in two, and the dark purple butterfly instantly began trying to make a break for it.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo, easily catching the little creature and de-evilizing it before releasing it back into the air, now a pure white colour. With a satisfied smile, Ladybug grabbed hold of her lucky charm paint set and tossed it into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The power of creation began fixing all the damage caused by the akuma. People were released, disorientated and confused, from the other canvases, and the one Chat Noir broke was fixed. Dreamscape soon transformed back into the artist who began looking around in shock and confusion. Ladybug walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The artist looked back up at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"I wouldn't let the words of one disgruntled customer get to you," Ladybug comforted him, "you're a fantastic artist."

"Thanks, Ladybug," the artist replied as he picked himself up off the ground and dusted himself off.

He gave Ladybug and Chat Noir one final wave of thanks before heading over to his equipment that was scattered all over the ground and began picking it up. Ladybug smiled, glad that this akuma attack was all over. This was definitely up there with one of the most powerful and dangerous akumas they had faced.

Memories of her nightmares continued to dance around in her head. Those orange eyes now seemed to be eternally watching her from inside her mind, burning into her very soul. The more Ladybug thought about it, there more familiar the lady on the mountain seemed. But…surely Ladybug had never met anyone like that before? Ladybug had never been trapped in a snow storm on a mountain, so why was it starting to feel like…almost like…she'd been there before?

"Everything alright, my lady?" Chat's concerned voice snapped her out of her daydreaming, and Ladybug shook her head rapidly before looking back at Chat nervously.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Chat sighed, his eyes cast down to the ground. He looked completely worn-out, nervous and apprehensive, causing Ladybug to raise an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Listen, Ladybug, I –"

Ladybug's ear beeped its second to last warning, interrupting Chat Noir, and causing Ladybug to begin panicking and flailing slightly.

"Sorry, Chat, I gotta go!" Ladybug hurriedly gasped out. "Good job today! I hope you're okay! I gotta go, see you soon!"

Ladybug ran off as fast as she could. Luckily, the park was now pretty much deserted after the akuma attack, and Ladybug soon found a large enough tree to duck behind just in time for her transformation to drop. Tikki flew out of her earrings, and Marinette held her hands out to catch the exhausted kwami.

"Are you alright, Tikki?" Marinette asked worriedly.

Tikki rubbed her head, and her blue eyes remained hooded and tired.

"Yeah, I'm fine…what about you?" Tikki asked the last part a little more slowly.

Oh, right, Marinette thought to herself, Tikki would have likely seen everything that happened. That made Marinette incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassed. What must Tikki think of her?

Marinette decided to ignore her question. "I'll get us home and get you some food."

Marinette thought she was just about ready to face her parents now after all that. She wasn't sure what she'd say to them the minute she got through the door, she just knew that getting Tikki some food was her priority, as Marinette, in her haste to leave, unfortunately hadn't packed anything to take with her like she normally did at this point.

Marinette gently placed Tikki back in her purse, and that's when a thought dawned on her.

"Adrien!" Marinette cried out, gripping her black hair tightly before darting back out from behind the tree.

She needed to make sure he was okay!

Running wildly through the park, Marinette finally reached the tree where she remembered hiding Adrien. She darted to the other side of the thick tree trunk to find that Adrien was gone. Marinette began panicking even more, her breathing becoming laboured after her mad sprint and fear as to where Adrien could have gone. Had he been captured at some point?

"Marinette, there you are!" a relieved, familiar voice called out behind her.

Marinette turned around with wide eyes before letting out a huge sigh of relief. Adrien sprinted towards her, a worried look on his face. Marinette expected him to stop in front of her, but was caught off guard when he kept going and reached out to wrap his arms around her. Marinette gasped, freezing in both fear and delight as she felt his warm arms grip her tightly. She then couldn't resist melting into his embrace, wrapping her arms around him in return and burying her face in his chest, listening to the rapid beating of his heart.

Marinette wanted to groan in annoyance when he pulled away all too soon, but she managed to hide her disappointment. Adrien carefully looked her over while Marinette stared back at him in confusion.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, seeming slightly frantic. "Ladybug said she got you to safety?"

His tone on the last question was slightly flat, though Marinette managed to catch the suspicious edge to it. Was he seriously still suspecting she was Ladybug or something? Marinette couldn't believe her rotten luck and own stupidity. If she hadn't crashed into Adrien's window that one damn time, none of this would have happened. Marinette really needed to put in more effort to put him off the idea.

"Yeah, she did. I came over here to look for you as soon as it was all over," Marinette half-lied.

Adrien raised a blond eyebrow. "How did you know Ladybug hid me over here?"

Marinette's eyes widened, and she almost went into cardiac arrest. So much for putting in more effort to make him less suspicious.

"I…saw her…carry you over here," Marinette managed to come up with a believable enough lie.

Adrien's eyebrow lowered, and he sighed before his grip on her shoulders loosened, his hands falling limply to his sides. Honestly, he looked like a total wreck at the moment, almost as bad as how Chat Noir looked after their ordeal with the akuma. Maybe Adrien had been captured and he ended up having really bad nightmares too? Marinette knew she couldn't afford to ask though. There was no way she would be able to know about the whole dreams and nightmare experience. Plus, she had Tikki to think about right now as well. Her poor kwami was exhausted and needed food.

"I should probably get going," Adrien mumbled miserably. "My father will start wondering where I am."

Marinette sighed. "Yeah I should head off too. I think I've had enough excitement for one day."

Adrien then perked up a little bit, smiling down at her, although it looked slightly forced. "So, you still up for that tutoring on Monday?"

"YES!" Marinette clamped a hand over her mouth, her face erupting into a bright shade of red while Adrien stumbled back slightly, startled. "I mean…sure…I'm down for that," Marinette then added a little _too_ casually.

"Err…great!" Adrien beamed once he got over the initial shock of Marinette's random, excited outburst. "I'll see you on Monday then."

He began slowly walking away with his hands in his pockets, and Marinette continued to stare at his retreating form dreamily. However, Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin when Adrien turned back around. Marinette quickly pretended that she hadn't been staring and started doing an exaggerated walk in the direction of her parents' bakery like a cartoon character.

Marinette cringed at her own dorkiness.

Adrien gave her a weird look before smiling and waving. "And good luck with your little problem by the way."

This made Marinette cringe even more. She had been on the verge of forgetting about that for one sweet moment, and now the guilt had begun gnawing away at her again like a ravenous piranha. She smiled and waved back as best she could, her cheeks permanently stained a tomato red, making Marinette wish that the ground could just swallow her up right there.

"Thank you!" Marinette called back to him, and Adrien seemed to reluctantly turn away before heading down to the park's other main exit.

Marinette then let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, her whole body slouching slightly as she began mentally kicking herself for being so awkward again. _Oh no!_ What if Adrien didn't want to tutor her now?! Marinette honestly wouldn't blame him. She was so awkward and weird and clumsy and…

A gentle tap coming from inside her purse snapped Marinette right out of her panicked trance. It was as if Tikki had read her mind and knew that Marinette was busy internally freaking out. That, or her kwami just knew her really well by this point. That thought made Marinette realise that maybe she did have a slight problem.

That's when all of Marinette's miserable thoughts came flooding back into her mind. All that she could do now was confront the problem and go home. She couldn't stay out here and avoid her mother forever.

Reluctantly, Marinette began making her way home. The sight of her family's bakery didn't feel welcoming this time, instead, it felt more ominous. Sighing, Marinette crossed the road and pushed on the door to enter the bakery. The door didn't budge though. It was locked? Marinette's eyes then drifted towards the closed sign that hung pinned to the window of the main entrance. That was odd. Her father usually only closed early on Sundays.

Now feeling incredibly anxious, Marinette took her keys out of her purse and hesitantly unlocked the door before walking in and closing it behind her, locking it again.

"Papa?" Marinette called out into the dark, empty bakery.

No response.

Both of her parents must be upstairs then. The house was eerily quiet as Marinette made her way up the flight of stairs that led to their apartment above the bakery. The hallways were dark, and Marinette paused when she heard hushed whispering coming from the other side of the front door.

"Do you think she's told her?" she heard her father's voice whisper, slightly panicked.

Sabine sighed.

"I think Marinette would have a lot to say to us if she had been told, Tom," Sabine responded, sounding slightly annoyed.

Marinette was now officially intrigued. What on earth were they talking about? Were they…were they hiding something from her?

"I'm sorry," Tom rushed to apologise, "I'm just…I can't believe she found us after all these years."

Marinette frowned, pressing her ear against the wood of the door to hear better. She felt Tikki pop her little head out of her purse to listen in as well, the red kwami looked just as confused and intrigued as Marinette did.

"Do you think we should tell her?" Tom asked.

"No!" Sabine immediately yelled, causing Marinette to jump away from the door slightly as her ears rang at the sudden loud noise. "We were instructed not to!"

"But the game has changed Sabine," Tom replied.

It sounded like he was trying his best to stay as calm as possible for the both of them.

"Emilie's gone, so now it's up to us to decide what is best."

"I can't…" Sabine sounded like she was holding back sobs. "I can't go through it all again…I just can't…not after everything that happened." Sabine sniffed. "You know, sometimes when I look at her, I can see him…and it hurts so much…"

Marinette decided she'd had enough. Frowning in annoyance, she swung the front door open, and her parents stared at her like deer caught in headlights. Their eyes were wide and frantic, while her mother's were also red and puffy from tears. That sight made Marinette relax slightly, unable to maintain an angry stance while her mom was in such a state.

But still, they were clearly talking about her behind her back, and it couldn’t be anything good, otherwise why would they be behaving like this? It was starting to freak Marinette out slightly. If they were hiding some sort of secret from her…what would it even be? Her parents were among the most innocent and kind-hearted people she knew, so why were they all of a sudden being so weird with her today?

"Well don't stop on my account." Marinette frowned again, crossing her arms over her chest.

Tom and Sabine shared a look before they both stood up from the couch, seemingly not knowing what to do or say.

"H-how much did you hear?" Tom asked slowly.

Marinette huffed. "Enough to know that you were talking about me and that it wasn't anything good. So come on then. What have I done? What is this big secret you need to tell me?"

Sabine wiped her eyes and plastered on a fake looking smile. "Nothing, dear."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Come on, mom, I'm not that stupid."

Marinette was really starting to lose her patience now. Did her parents honestly think she was that much of an idiot that they thought they could just sweep this under the rug and that she wouldn't want to know what was going on? That insulted Marinette slightly.

"It really is nothing, Marinette," her dad tried to reassure her, walking over and placing a large hand on her petite shoulder. "We were just talking about something that happened a long time ago."

Marinette frowned at him suspiciously. "Well, if it happened such a long time ago, then how and why does it involve me?"

"It's an old… _friend_ of mine from school many years ago," Sabine explained. "They've come back into the city and want to meet up with us as a family, only I never really liked this person, so I don't want to meet up with them. I didn't want to tell you because I thought it would be pointless."

"Then why are you so upset over it?" Marinette asked.

Sabine sighed. "Because…they bullied me at one point in school. I don't like to talk about it."

Marinette only grew angrier and angrier. "You must _really_ think I am some sort of idiot. There's one critical flaw in your story, mom. You mainly grew up in China."

Sabine bit her lip. "I am taking about when I was growing up in China."

"Then what are you talking about them being back in the city?!"

"They visited once before," Sabine answered a little too quickly, beginning to look slightly desperate.

Marinette began forcing herself to calm down. Her mother's story did add up to an extent, but it still seemed like they were lying to her, though Marinette knew that she obviously wasn't going to get anything out of them right now. She still had a hungry kwami in her purse, and it wasn't like she couldn't go snooping later on if she wanted to find out this secret that her parents seemed to be hiding.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette visibly relaxed which made her parents relax too. Sabine offered her a gentle smile which Marinette struggled to return in her current emotional state. She managed though, and it seemed to be enough to convince her mother that everything was okay. So much for talking to her parents about the work placement again. That idea seemed to be an emphatic no-go area at this point.

Still feeling freaked out, Marinette walked past her parents, still slightly in a mood with them, and began climbing the stairs up to her bedroom.

"I suppose I better go re-open the bakery," she heard her father say before she closed the hatch behind her.

Marinette dashed over to her desk and collapsed into her chair before reaching into one of the drawers to grab a cookie from the secret stash she kept for Tikki. The red kwami immediately began devouring the sweet treat, and Marinette sighed, holding her head in her hands as she gazed miserably out of the window. The memories of her nightmares once again had her full attention, and Marinette felt herself begin to uncontrollably shake.

"Hey, Marinette, shhhh, it's okay."

It was Tikki's comforting words that made Marinette realise that she had begun sobbing hysterically. The tears and shaking just would not stop, no matter how hard Marinette tried to get a grip on herself. Down and down the tears poured, all the while Tikki gave her gentle little taps on the shoulder while Marinette gasped for air as if her lungs were completely starved of oxygen. A painful lump formed in her throat, and her fingers and toes began to tingle unpleasantly to the point where it felt like Marinette could no longer feel them. Marinette continued panting desperately as she pushed away from her desk slightly, gripping onto the wood for dear life as her thoughts became one huge blurry mess. Her heart felt like it was ready to pound its way right out of her chest.

"Marinette!" Tikki shrieked in alarm. "It's okay, you're okay, ssssh, just take deep breaths."

Marinette did as instructed, taking one huge gulp of air before slowly releasing it again. She began slowly counting to ten in her head, anything to keep her mind focused and clear, and with each slow and controlled breath, she gradually felt herself beginning to calm down. Tears still flowed from her eyes, but her breathing was no longer as laboured and she still didn't feel completely calm.

Tikki gave her one last soothing stroke before pulling away to float in front of Marinette's face.

"All better?" Tikki asked.

Marinette sighed. "Not really."

Tikki let out a sigh as well. "I don't really blame you. I saw the dreams you had."

Looking down at the floor, unable to meet Tikki's eyes, Marinette sniffed pathetically. "I figured you had."

"Marinette, we need to talk about this."

"I know. That woman…she was so scary. Who was she?"

"I don't know," Tikki responded, "but that part of the dream isn't important. I never got to talk to you properly over the whole Chat Noir issue."

Marinette bit her lip, her palms began sweating nervously. "I don't understand, Tikki. I mean, you saw what happened in that one dream I had of him. I don't understand. Why was I calling him Adrien? Did my brain just get confused while I was dreaming because they're both very dear people to me? He…he felt so real."

Tikki looked away guilty, though this went unnoticed by Marinette.

"And then the next moment I'm…kissing him before I…Tikki, for some reason I just suddenly really wanted his miraculous. I didn't care if he got hurt. It was like some unseen force was controlling me. Then of course there was that dream I had the other night where Chat Noir stabbed me with a knife. Tikki, what's happening to me? Am I going mad?" Marinette's voice was desperate.

"Look, Mari…I don't mean to alarm you but…"

"But what?" Marinette demanded, slamming her hands down on her desk in frustration.

Tikki sighed, turning back to face Marinette with a very concerned, haunted and serious look on her face.

"For Ladybug and Chat Noir to have a dream in which they hurt or turn against each other is a very rare and serious phenomenon."

Marinette froze, her eyes widening in fear. "W-what do you mean, Tikki?"

Tikki's eyes narrowed, and what she said next sent deep chills down Marinette's spine.

"Marinette…this is a _very_ bad omen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, look at that, I actually managed to upload the chapter on time this week. And uh oh, what the heck is going on, guys? Feel free to let me know your theories and opinions in a comment. Thank you so much for your comments on the previous chapter, as well as for leaving kudos and bookmarking this story. It inspires me to continue.


	16. Traumatic Past

"A bad omen?" Marinette repeated, sounding the terrifying words out on her tongue.

Those words scared her so much that Marinette didn't want to believe they were true. It would certainly explain Tikki's weird reaction when she had told her in the park earlier. The little red kwami had even begun shaking slightly, and her blue eyes became distant once again like they had in the park. Marinette stared at her, too afraid to move, her fingers still tightly gripping onto her desk.

"Tikki?" Marinette finally asked in a high pitched, frightened voice. "Please tell me what you're talking about."

Tikki snapped back out of her trance, her eyes refocusing on Marinette again before she let out a sigh. "I don't really know how much I'm allowed to tell you, Marinette. Master Fu doesn't want us kwamis to reveal too much to our chosen ones."

"But why?" Marinette asked incredulously. "I think I have the right to know about this bad omen you just told me about."

The red kwami still looked reluctant. Instead of replying, Tikki simply stared out of the window, finding the sky very interesting all of a sudden. Marinette glared at the back of Tikki's head. It was obvious her kwami had a lot to say, Marinette could practically see her companion's head ticking away, the words forming before sealed away in her mouth that was tightly clamped shut.

This really didn't seem fair. Marinette understood and accepted that Tikki had a lot of secrets; she had lived for thousands of years after all. Marinette knew she would probably never come to know even a quarter of what Tikki had locked away in her mind, so she often never bothered asking, knowing her kwami would simply remain allusive.

However, this time, Marinette really felt like she had a right to know. Tikki couldn't just drop a bombshell like that on her and then clamp up and expect Marinette to just be okay with that response. A bad omen could imply anything, though Marinette knew it wasn't good. If something bad was heading Marinette's way, then she needed to know so she could be prepared. Surely that wasn't too much to ask?

"Tikki, please!" Marinette began begging which made Tikki stiffen slightly. "If something bad is heading my way then I need to know. I need to be prepared."

Tikki slowly turned back around, gazing worriedly at Marinette which caused the young hero's heart to skip a beat. The red kwami bit her lip before relaxing slightly, though far from completely, and floated down to settle and sit down on a stack of Marinette's school textbooks. She crossed her little red legs and leaned back slightly, resting her weight on her arms before frowning as she became lost in her memories while Marinette waited patiently for her kwami to start talking.

"To even begin to start explaining, I first need to take you back a thousand years." Tikki's voice became flat and serious.

Marinette shuffled closer so she could listen better, her serious frown matching Tikki's tone.

"Back when the temple of the guardians still existed in Tibet, a Ladybug and Chat Noir closer to home were chosen. While everything was fine at first, this Ladybug and Chat Noir – though that wasn't their names, I'm just going to call them that to make it easier for you to understand – really started to clash. Their opinions differed greatly on how to handle certain matters, and their visions of justice were not the same. They had been best friends all of their lives and loved each other a great deal, but now a struggle for power and dominance was coming between them."

Marinette's eyes widened and she nodded, hinting at Tikki to continue.

Tikki shuddered as she recalled the memories. "That's when Ladybug's dreams began. She dreamed of betraying that particular Chat Noir, and of him betraying her to the point where they often murdered each other in their dreams. They really began to _hate_ and mistrust each other. But like I explained to you a few days ago, deep down, the holder of the black cat miraculous and the ladybug miraculous are so interconnected spiritually; I supposed today you'd refer to them as soulmates.”

Marinette inwardly cringed at that reminder.

“They're supposed to work in harmony. Not necessarily be in love with each other or decide to be together, but always work together for the purpose of helping others and maintaining balance. When there's no longer balance, nature itself cannot cope. At the time, I did not quite realise what was going on. I kept trying to convince Ladybug to maybe talk to Chat and sort things out to at least the point where they were civil with each other.”

Tikki’s eyes grew even more distant as they began to glisten slightly.

“I deeply care for every Ladybug I am bestowed upon, and it was eating me up inside seeing her suffer so much and letting this hatred consume her. They kept saying such hurtful things and played mind games with each other to the point where they were no longer focused on missions. Ladybug wasn't eating or sleeping properly, and my magic could no longer work as effectively.”

Okay, so Marinette definitely needed to make a note of that fact. She had no idea that her magic as Ladybug could be effected like that.

“Soon, the guardians came to know what was going on, and they were outraged at Ladybug and Chat Noir for disrespecting the laws of nature and not working in harmony. They were both summoned and ordered to hand back their miraculous. Both, of course, refused until they were forcibly taken by the guardians. Each one then started blaming the other, and they began fighting in the middle of the temple. The universe, it appeared, could no longer handle such an imbalance. That's when in the middle of their battle, a hole in the fabric of time and space opened up in the middle of the great hall. They had caused a tear in reality itself. Most of the guardians managed to get away just in time, however, as I was being carried away, all I could do was watch helplessly as my Ladybug and Chat Noir were sucked into the void, never to be seen again."

Tears began forming in Tikki's eyes and Marinette gasped, grabbing a tissue and tearing at it to make it small enough for Tikki to use. She handed it over, and Tikki accepted it with a small smile before delicately drying her eyes and letting out a final sniff before Marinette leaned back in her desk chair, her eyes wide with shock.

"I'm so sorry, Tikki," Marinette croaked out, "losing a Ladybug like that…it must have been…awful."

"It was." Tikki's voice shook slightly. "It's impossible to get used to the mortal lives that you humans possess. It's always unbearable when you ultimately pass on. But it's always even worse when you die in action and I'm powerless to do anything to stop it."

"I promise to try my best not to die on you," Marinette jokingly reassured, giving her kwami's head a gentle stroke.

Tikki chuckled, nuzzling Marinette's finger lovingly.

"You better not," Tikki played along, though there was a hint of haunting seriousness in her voice.

Marinette sighed, becoming sombre once again. "So, what happened after that? Did that tear in reality get fixed?"

"No," Tikki answered, "it remains there to this very day, and as far as I'm aware, it will never be fixed. It remains in the remnants of that room in the temple, locked away to forever remain a reminder of what happens when Ladybug and Chat Noir become imbalanced and no longer work in harmony."

"And that's the temple…where Master Fu used to be a guardian?" That thought suddenly dawned on Marinette and she just had to voice it.

Tikki slowly nodded. "Yes."

"What happened there? Why is Master Fu in France and why does he possess all of the miraculous? How did the temple get destroyed?" Marinette gushed out, relieved that she was finally getting some answers out of Tikki.

The red kwami sighed. " _That_ I'm afraid I can't tell you."

It looked like Marinette had spoken too soon which made her frown. "Why not?"

"It's not because I don't want to," Tikki rushed to explain when she saw the deep frustration on Marinette's features, "it's because I don't really _know._ "

"I don't understand."

"I was in a state of sleep then, Marinette, waiting for you to come along; my next chosen. The last time I was awake inside the temple, everything was fine as far as I can remember. Master Fu was one of the guardians at this time and had been trained since he was a young boy. All I know is that Master Fu made a mistake when he chose one of the miraculous wielders, though it's not really his fault. At the time, this person must have been the right one for the task. This person obviously must have become corrupted by the power or something. My best guess is that this person destroyed the temple." Tikki did her best to explain everything she knew.

Marinette gasped. "Then what happened to that miraculous wielder?"

"I don't think anybody really knows." Tikki frowned deep in thought.

"Then…" Marinette gulped as she looked up to stare out of her window. "This person could still be out there?"

That's when Marinette had an idea.

"Do you think it could be Hawkmoth?"

Tikki shook her head. "I don't think so. The temple was destroyed around sixteen years ago, whereas my impression is that Hawkmoth had only just recently found his miraculous when he started attacking Paris. So I highly doubt it could have been him. I don't think Hawkmoth truly understands the true full power of the miraculous either. He's knowledgeable, yes, but not to an extent where he could take down an entire temple filled with trained guardians. That would take someone with immense experience of using miraculous magic."

Marinette thought back to the box containing all of the miraculous that Master Fu had shown her. "The butterfly and the peacock are the only ones that are missing so it has to have been one of them."

"It seems likely," Tikki agreed. "That means the culprit is definitely missing in order for Hawkmoth to have found the butterfly miraculous. Their disappearance could explain why the peacock miraculous is still missing, though Master Fu believes it is in the possession of Hawkmoth."

"I don't understand." Marinette frowned. "If this person became corrupted by power, then how did they manage to lose or give up their miraculous? I can't see a power hungry experienced miraculous user going down so easily."

"Well, someone clearly must have defeated them. So that means I don't think you have anything to worry about regarding this person being out there," Tikki reassured, relaxing slightly at that logic.

"Yeah, but…who…and how? Hawkmoth maybe?" Marinette knew that was unlikely, but it was still an idea.

Maybe he was more experienced at using a miraculous than she gave him credit for. Maybe he got lucky in that one particular fight and was then able to steal the peacock miraculous? What could cause someone as strong as the person who could take on an entire temple of experience guardians to be defeated? Were they killed during this epic battle? Or did they simply go into hiding?

Tikki's story had seemed to have raised more questions than answers.

"Marinette, I just don't know," Tikki reiterated, "and do not go asking Master Fu about it. The whole experience was deeply traumatic for him. Not to mention he'll probably kill me for telling you all of this information."

Marinette sunk slightly in her seat. She hadn't really given Master Fu a thought in pretty much all of this. The poor old man blamed himself for the destruction of his people. Blamed himself for having chosen such an evil miraculous wielder. The pain that he must be living in…it just didn't bear thinking about.

Tears formed in Marinette's eyes at the thought. She really saw Master Fu in a whole new light now. The sweet and kind old man had been through so much, and yet he was willing to trust her and Chat Noir, despite what happened last time he chose a miraculous holder, to protect the people of Paris from Hawkmoth. That must have taken a lot for him to do.

This only served to make Marinette feel even more blessed. Sometimes she did slightly doubt herself as Ladybug, and felt like the responsibility was too much for her. Now, Marinette felt guilty for such feelings. She was lucky. She had gained two new friends out of it in the form of Tikki and Chat Noir, and got to experience the gratitude of the citizens of Paris. The fact that Master Fu trusted her to do that made Marinette feel incredibly touched.

"But wait…" The momentary thought of Chat Noir made Marinette realise something. "Why am I having dreams like this past Ladybug when, unlike her, I don't hate Chat Noir?"

"I don't know," Tikki whimpered nervously, "but you and Chat Noir are two halves of the same whole, so you should not be dreaming about him in this way. That's why it is a bad omen. It foretells imbalance. "

"What does it all mean?" Marinette whispered as she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin against them. "I don't have any immediate plans to go betraying Chat Noir. But for some reason, in my dream, I just really wanted his miraculous."

"I know, Mari, I saw and felt everything you felt." Tikki shuddered before she froze as if remembering something vitally important. "Those orange eyes and the feathers you saw…it can't be…"

"Can't be what?"

"Those are all iconic of the peacock miraculous holder."

Marinette blinked in shock. "But I don't understand? How could I be dreaming about something I've never seen?"

"That's a very good question," Tikki slowly replied. "Are you sure you've never come across the peacock miraculous or its holder in your life? Even if you didn't realise? Are you sure you never saw someone who, looking back, might resemble the peacock miraculous holder?"

Marinette thought really hard for a few seconds before she replied.

"No. At least I don't think so."

Tikki frowned in frustration and worry. "Well, you must have at some point. People don't just dream of things like that if they've never seen them before. Remember what Dreamscape said? About pulling those visions from your memories?"

"So…what you're saying is…I have come across the peacock miraculous holder at some point in my life?" Marinette gasped, nearly falling backwards off her chair in alarm.

"It seems likely." Tikki sounded incredibly worried. "But for some reason, you don't properly remember it."

Marinette gulped. "I would have thought I'd remember something like that."

"Me too," Tikki whispered, her blue eyes narrowing in concentration.

The pair of them sat in a heavy silence for a few minutes. Marinette's heart refused to calm down after the direction this conversation had taken. She couldn't believe what Tikki was suggesting. That Marinette had at some point come face to face with the holder of the peacock miraculous. The very person who could be the one responsible for destroying the temple of the guardians and forcing Master Fu into hiding.

Marinette really wanted to ask Master Fu about this, but there was no way Tikki would let her, despite the fact that it would hopefully give them the answers they needed on this whole thing. If she had come across this person, why didn't she remember? She would have thought someone in some sort of peacock costume would stand out in her memories. Marinette clearly remembered the feathers in order for her to have dreamt about them. So what gives?

But why would Marinette even dream about them anyway? Did the peacock miraculous holder have some sort of connection to her? That seemed unlikely. Nonetheless, it was a creepy thought. The loud mess of thoughts that swirled around inside her head had Marinette curling further up into a tight ball before she started rocking backwards and forwards slightly.

"I suggest you keep on your toes, Marinette," Tikki's suggestion brought Marinette out of her panicked thoughts. "I know you're not like that particular Ladybug, and you don't hate or want to betray Chat Noir, and I very much doubt that the opposite will occur as well. But the dream you told me about, and the dream I saw today, makes me uneasy. So be careful."

Marinette frowned seriously and nodded once at Tikki's suggestion before returning to sit in a normal position. "So until then, we wait and see what happens."

Tikki sighed. "I'm afraid so."

The red kwami and her holder returned to sitting in silence, lost deep in their thoughts while, just beneath the trapdoor that led to Marinette's bedroom, Sabine Cheng sat on one of the highest steps just below the door. She removed her head from her hands, tears streaking noiselessly down her cheeks as she turned her gaze back towards the television. Sabine stared at the paused image on screen, a close-up of Ladybug's head and shoulders.

At that sight, fresh tears began spilling uncontrollably out of her grey eyes before she placed her hands over her face again, hiding her sobs of pain and fear from the world.

.

"Okay Plagg, I'm really freaking out here," Adrien said for the hundredth time as he continued to pace the length of his large bedroom.

Plagg sighed, but otherwise said nothing, instead turning his attention back to the stack of cheese in front of him.

Up and down Adrien continued to pace, repeatedly running his hands through his thick blond hair, messing it up to the point where it was almost styled like Chat Noir's. His green eyes were wild and alert, and his head spun dizzily with the millions of thoughts that continued to pound the inside of his skull. The main one being the dream he’d had while he was under Dreamscape's spell…of him and… _Ladybug._

However, in his dream, he had been calling her… _Marinette_.

The memory spooked him to the point where Adrien froze and stopped pacing. His dream had been so wonderful: him and Ladybug together with three beautiful children. A perfect family and life he had always wanted. But then, Ladybug had started acting strangely, accusing him of not being real before running off into a dark void, leaving him all alone again.

He thought that he would have been used to Ladybug running away from him by now.

Then they were both together again in the middle of the city at night, all alone. She had kissed him. The memory caused Adrien to lick his lips, almost still able to taste her. In another confusing twist, she had then attempted to steal his miraculous before she threw herself off the Eiffel Tower.

Adrien's heart and stomach lurched as the image of her doing so taunted him. His anxiety over the whole ordeal was still through the roof. He was so relieved when Ladybug had woken him up for him to realise that it had all just been a dream. A dream that felt all too real though. It made him wonder what Ladybug had dreamed about as she was certainly acting differently afterwards.

"Plagg, I had a dream where I was calling Ladybug _Marinette_!" Adrien gasped out, turning around to face his gluttonous black cat kwami.

Plagg rolled his eyes. "I know kid, I saw."

"But I don't understand!" Adrien shrieked. "What does this mean? Does this mean I'm right and that Marinette is Ladybug, or did my subconscious mind just get confused because of my suspicions?"

The erratic hero went back to pacing, only faster this time. He froze again after his third lap, turning back to Plagg before darting over and flinging himself in front of the now startled kwami.

"Plagg, please!" Adrien begged.

"Please what?" Plagg snapped, moving protectively in front of his cheese. "So you had some stupid fantasy dream about Ladybug? What do you want me to do about it?"

"Convince me I'm not going crazy?" Adrien begged.

"Adrien, I don't think you'd know what sanity was if it hit you on the head," Plagg sighed.

Adrien's mouth twitched into a small smirk. "Was that an intentional pun?"

This just made Plagg roll his eyes and go back to stuffing his face.

Adrien went back to being serious again. "And…in my dream…Ladybug suddenly turned on me. It was like…she was after my miraculous."

The black kwami stiffened, which immediately caught Adrien's attention.

"Plagg?"

"What?" he replied slowly, his speech slightly muffled by a mouthful of cheese.

"What do you mean _what_?" Adrien asked, narrowing his eyes. "I mention what Ladybug did in my dream and you go all rigid."

"Rigid? I don't know what you're talking about," Plagg said nonchalantly, "I just swallowed a piece of camembert wrong."

"Plaaaggg," Adrien warned, "you and I both know that's not true. Do you know something you're not telling me? Does it have something to do with Ladybug's true identity?"

Adrien was instantly silenced when he felt a large piece of cheese hit him in the face. The blond model wiped away the residue in shock, his green eyes meeting Plagg's, who was staring at him in anger and frustration.

"Like I care about your precious Ladybug's identity," Plagg snapped as Adrien continued to watch him in shock. "Like I care about _you!_ "

The black kwami then took off and settled on a shelf at the other side of the room. Adrien gasped and watched his kwami with wide eyes. What had gotten into Plagg all of a sudden?

"Plagg?" Adrien was unable to raise his voice barely beyond a whisper.

He was deeply hurt by what Plagg had said, but Adrien figured that Plagg wouldn't just simply lash out like this for no reason. It was very much out of character. Adrien stood up from his bed, but didn't dare move any further. He watched as Plagg's large black ears flattened against his head as the little kwami kept his back to his holder, wrapping his arms around himself.

"And don't even think about getting all mushy and emotional on me," Plagg warned with a growl, sensing Adrien's intentions, which cause the young blond boy to sigh sadly.

This made one of Plagg's ears twitch, and he slowly turned around to see Adrien stood looking deeply sad and lost, staring down at the floor.

Plagg relaxed slightly, his expression turning slightly guilty.

"Look, kid, I didn't mean it," Plagg explained.

"I know," Adrien sighed. "Why are you angry though? Was it something I said?"

"No, I just…forget it." Plagg growled.

Adrien frowned. "No, I want to help."

"Yeah, well, you can't," Plagg huffed. "I just got reminded of something that happened a long time ago, that's all."

"Oh," was all Adrien could respond with.

He wanted to dig for more information, however, he clearly wasn't going to get any of that. Something had clearly ticked Plagg off, and it made Adrien wonder what he had said to remind Plagg of something that had happened in his past that made him so angry all of a sudden. Plagg was often too lazy to be angry or upset. His biggest emotional outbursts were just when he wasn't getting his fill of stinky cheese. Alas, Adrien knew that it was best not to pry, especially if it was obviously upsetting Plagg so much. He just hoped his little kwami was okay.

With a sigh, Adrien heaved himself over towards his giant computer, powering on the screen. Naturally, one of the first things that came up was the Ladyblog with the latest entry front and centre, consisting of images and eye witness accounts from their battle with Dreamscape today. Adrien shuddered at the memory of that particular akuma, hoping to now just forget about that strange dream he’d had while under his spell.

He began scrolling through the blog absentmindedly before he settled on a beautifully captured photo of Ladybug. Adrien couldn't help but gaze dreamily at the bight and warm smile on her face, along with the happy sparkle in her deep blue eyes.

"Don't start drooling," Plagg muttered sarcastically which startled Adrien, who immediately wiped his hand across his chin self-consciously.

No drool this time, thank goodness.

Adrien let out a love-struck sigh before he turned towards the framed photograph of his mother he had on his desk. He smiled longingly at his mother's carefree smile. It was the anniversary of her disappearance tomorrow, and he knew it was going to be hard. No matter how many years went by, it never got any easier. Nearly four whole years he had been without his mother. Four too many.

"I miss you, mom," Adrien whispered as he continued to stare at the photo, close to tears. "I wish you could have met Ladybug. I'm sure you would have loved her. She's so amazing and beautiful in every way."

The photo stared back at him, not saying a word. It was the closest Adrien could get to actually talking to his mother…now that he would likely never see her again.

Once again, Adrien found himself wishing he knew what had happened to her. At least then he could have some form of closure. But right now, he didn't know how he was supposed to be grieving. His father never really talked to him about it, just announcing when he got back from Tibet that his mother was gone.

Sadly turning away from the photo, Adrien gazed back at the large image of Ladybug on his screen. He wished he really did know her true identity, and that she knew his. Then he could talk to her about all of this. Get the things off his chest that he wanted to. He imagined with a small smile, Ladybug wrapping her arms around him and hugging him for hours. Adrien could almost feel the warmth of her small frame in his arms as she gave him the love and affection he was so starved of. It had felt wonderful today to have her in his arms after his ordeal under Dreamscape's spell. And she had hugged him back, comforting him while he struggled to hold it together.

Adrien wanted that. He wanted it all the time.

Staring at the image, Adrien's eyes began to narrow. He then reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone. Scrolling through his photos, he frowned when he finally reached one that included Marinette. Adrien then held up his phone next to the image of Ladybug, and his eyes widened considerably. Pale skin, black hair in identical twin tails, bright blue eyes and the exact same warm and friendly smile that would have even the most anxious person feel at ease.

Adrien almost dropped his phone, but luckily retained his grip just in time.

They looked practically identical.

How had he not seen this before?

"Plagg?" Adrien found himself calling upon his kwami again.

"What now?" Plagg sighed as he floated over to hover next to Adrien's shoulder.

"Look!" Adrien exclaimed. "Ladybug and Marinette…they look so similar."

"Wow, you really are obsessed," Plagg commented with a chuckle.

"I'm serious, Plagg!" Adrien gasped out. "I really think…I can't believe…could Marinette really be Ladybug?!"

Plagg shrugged, starting to look fed up and bored. "What would you do if she was, lover boy?"

"I…I don't know. I mean…Marinette's such a good friend."

Plagg facepalmed.

"What?" Adrien demanded, glaring at his kwami.

"Okay, I thought this would be funny at first, but you can't go around playing games like this. You and Ladybug are going to end up getting seriously hurt."

Adrien had never heard Plagg sound so serious.

"Who said anything about playing games?" Adrien huffed. "I just have some suspicions that Marinette might be Ladybug, and I want to find out for sure. Especially if that means the love of my life has been right under my nose the entire time."

"Do you love Marinette?" Plagg asked simply.

"I – what? No."

Plagg sighed. "Then what will it mean if you find out that she _is_ Ladybug?"

Adrien sighed. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"No Adrien, these are things you need to think about."

"Trust me Plagg, I'll figure something out." Adrien thought for a moment. "In the meantime, this tutoring session I'll be giving her will be an excellent opportunity to find out more information. I can try and catch her out, and then maybe I can finally have the definitive proof I need. I can get to know Marinette better, and see if she has any more similarities with Ladybug."

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Not this whole spying tactic again."

"How else am I going to find out for sure?" Adrien demanded before he smirked when Plagg didn't reply.

Adrien knew it was going to be tricky and risky, but his curiosity was just eating away at him too much. After seeing the pretty much exact same graze on Marinette's head as Ladybug's, Adrien had begun noticing startling similarities between the two girls. There were too many strange coincidences going on for him to just ignore.

He wasn't too sure about how he felt over Ladybug possibly being Marinette. He hadn't really put too much thought into that aspect. However, his dream made him more determined than ever to maybe one day build a happy life with Ladybug. Knowing who she really was would be the first stepping stone to getting the perfect life he had experienced in his dream.

As Adrien leaned back in his desk chair deep in thought, Gabriel Agreste finally leaned away from the other side of his son's bedroom door. A sadistic smirk slithered onto his features, and his grey eyes sparkled dangerously. He slowly walked away, back towards his own office before he slowly closed the large, heavy door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank so you for reading as always! Please feel free to let me know your thoughts. Thank you for all of your comments so far! I really appreciate them!


	17. Somniphobia

Everywhere was pure darkness.

No matter how much Marinette squinted her eyes, she could not make out any viable shape in the distance. She had no idea what surface she was standing on; she could be standing on the edge of a cliff for all she knew. That thought sent Marinette's heart into a frenzy. She had to do something though. She couldn't just stand there for eternity.

Attentively taking a small step forward, Marinette slowly lowered her foot, sighing with relief when it made contact with a solid surface underneath her. As Marinette was about to take another cautious step forward, something red in the distance caught her attention. The sight made Marinette instantly freeze in place.

The red liquid on the invisible ground seeped towards her in a clear trail, and as it grew closer, Marinette soon realised with shock what the red liquid was.

Blood.

The blood continued to flow in a perfect straight line, stopping at her feet. All Marinette could do was stare at it for a few seconds before she followed the trail with her eyes. The blood appeared to be trying to lead her into the distance. _Like that was going to happen_ , Marinette thought to herself.

She quickly turned around to head in the opposite direction of the ominous blood, only to be halted in her tracks by an invisible wall that appeared to have materialised out of nowhere behind her. Despite not being able to see it, Marinette's nose was squished painfully against it, and her forehead hit it with a sharp bang.

Annoyed and frightened, Marinette rubbed her injured face, her forehead beginning to pound – that was going to leave a nasty bump.

Taking a small step back, Marinette whipped her head around to gaze in the direction of the blood trail and gulped. Clearly, some unseen force wanted her to follow it.

That's when she began to hear it.

The very faint but unmistakable screams and cries of a baby.

The sound echoed into the void and sent a deep chill up Marinette's spine. An all-consuming sense of dread engulfed her, causing Marinette to let out an involuntary quiet squeak of fear. Droplets of sweat began pooling on her skin, and her breathing hitched as the baby's cries continued.

After taking a deep breath, Marinette took a step forward, making sure not to step in the thick, oozing blood beneath her. No invisible wall stopped her, confirming her theory that whatever this place was, it wanted her to go this way. Marinette wasn't sure if she wanted to know what was at the other end of the blood trail though. Despite every cell in her body screaming at her not to, Marinette pressed on, pressing her lips together into a tight determined line. Her whole body tensed up, ready for whatever was about to be thrown at her. The feelings of readiness didn't slow the erratic beating of her heart though, and Marinette tried her best to keep control of her breathing by taking deep breaths through her nose as she continued to walk.

As Marinette travelled further along the blood trail, the cries of the baby grew louder and louder. What freaked Marinette out the most, was that these did not sound like a typical baby's cries. The cries came out in long drawn out shrieks, like the baby was hurt…or incredibly terrified of something.

After travelling in the dark void for what felt like an eternity, a wooden door appeared in the distance, which made Marinette gasp in fright and confusion. The sight made her instantly pause, however, the sudden sensation of being pushed from behind made Marinette scream out loud before she could stop herself.

Her superhero instincts kicked in, and Marinette turned around in the blink of an eye, arms raised and ready for a fight. Her blue eyes widened as large as saucers when she realised that no one was behind her…at least…no one she could see anyway.

With cold sweat dripping from her brow, and her expression terror-stricken, Marinette turned back around and slowly made her way towards the door. She stopped just in front of it as she stared down at the worn bronze doorknob. Light radiated out of the keyhole, but Marinette couldn't bring herself and try and open it. Instead, she gently pressed her right ear against the wooden door. When she did this, the baby's cries grew louder. Terrifyingly, she also heard what sounded like someone shuffling around. Those sounds made Marinette instantly remove her ear from the door and take an automatic step back.

Someone – or _something_ – was definitely in there.

Marinette looked down to see that the blood was seeping out from underneath the door. It wanted her to go inside. Looking around, Marinette realised opening the door was the only thing she could do. Everywhere else was a dark void of frightening emptiness.

Remaining vigilant, Marinette wrapped her hand around the cold doorknob and twisted. The door clicked, and the instant it did, the baby stopped crying and the shuffling stopped. Marinette opened the door a crack, and more warm light leaked out from the gap she had now created. Holding her breath, she slowly pushed the door open further, and the light disappeared.

Marinette frowned in confusion as she stood in the doorway, gazing into the room. It appeared as though she had entered some sort of kitchen. However, the room was devoid of colour, with everything retaining a grey hue while looking slightly blurred around the outside like an old television picture. Marinette could just about make out the kitchen cabinets. Doors had been left hanging open, which served to make the kitchen look smaller and more cramped.

Stepping further inside, Marinette jumped when the door slammed shut behind her, sealing her inside before it instantly turned grey like the rest of the room around her.

Pushing past the cabinets, Marinette made her way towards the door on the other side of the room that was slightly ajar. Creepily, Marinette could hear what sounded like an old radio playing in the background, filling the otherwise eerie silence. Every so often, the signal would cut out slightly before picking back up again. It was broadcasting in a language that Marinette did not recognise, with the same man talking non-stop.

Marinette also managed a catch a glimpse of a small analog clock hanging on the wall just next to the door she was slowly walking towards. Wherever she was, if that clock was correct, it was either eleven in the morning or eleven at night. In confusion, Marinette gazed out of the small window situated over the sink, but all that was outside was a bright white light. No help at all.

Gulping, Marinette pressed on before she reached out and nudged the kitchen door out of the way. It squeaked loudly as it swung open, bouncing back off the wall in the other room slightly. That's when Marinette had a deep sinking feeling that the source of the blood was in that room.

The minute the door opened, Marinette's eyes were assaulted with the sight of a huge lake of blood that almost stained the entire floor of the room. The sight caused Marinette to clamp her hands over her mouth to prevent her from screaming out loud. She didn't want to go in, she didn't want to look. She knew that whatever sight was waiting for her in that room would be too grotesque for her to handle. Marinette was never any good with gruesome stuff, and it felt like she was in her very own personal horror movie. But despite everything, Marinette somehow managed to force her head to peep around the corner of the doorway.

This time, Marinette was unable to contain her screams of horror.

An unfamiliar man was lying sprawled out in an unnatural position on the floor, his limbs twisted and broken. His face was pressed against the floor so Marinette was unable to see his features, which were further hidden by his thick black hair. His whole body, including the blood, was in colour unlike the rest of the room, though his whole body was practically stained a deep crimson red at this point. The man didn't move an inch; not even a steady rise and fall of his chest.

Marinette could feel her knees beginning to buckle underneath her, and her head began to spin. The room started to feel like it was on a sideways slant which caused her to stumble back against the wall slightly. Marinette really had to fight tooth and nail to prevent herself from fainting right there on the spot.

That was it.

Marinette had seen enough.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as bile rose in her throat. She couldn't bear to look at the scene any longer. Whatever happened here, Marinette didn't want to stay long enough to find out. She twisted her body back towards the door, ready to bolt, however she froze when she realised the door that led out towards the dark void was open again. Two bright orange eyes peered at her from the blackness, and Marinette screamed as loud as her lungs would allow her. Those eyes ingrained a fear in Marinette that she had never experienced before. The feeling of dread the orange eyes sparked was unparalleled.

Keeping her eyes firmly locked on the orange irises that continued to stare at her unblinking, Marinette backed up slowly until her back collided with something firm and warm. Marinette yelped and twisted around, coming face to face with Chat Noir's leather clad chest. Feeling slightly relieved to have her partner here, Marinette then looked up, which instantly caused her feelings of relief to vanish when she caught the look on Chat Noir's face. He was staring down at her, angry and disappointed.

"What have you done, _Ladybug_?" he demanded in a flat tone.

Marinette's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? And how do you know I'm Ladybug?"

Her last question made Marinette take an automatic step back in fear of his answer.

"Enough!" Chat silenced her. She had never heard him so angry, and honestly, it frightened her. "I'm sick of playing your games. You know, I thought I really loved you. But the reality was, I didn't _know_ you."

"Chat…?"

"Now hand me your miraculous and all of this will end right here and now." Chat held his hand out while frowning at her.

Marinette took another step back. "You've got to be joking me?"

She was so confused. Why was Chat acting like this? How did he know she was Ladybug? And what on earth was he talking about?

Chat slowly lowered his hand and tilted his head to the side like a curious cat. His green eyes looked tired and apathetic as he stared at her. Gone was the cheeky and happy spark in his eyes. Now they were just dull and almost dead looking. It sent a shiver down Marinette's spine.

"Then you leave me with no choice," Chat growled in an animalistic way.

Marinette's eyes widened, her whole body screaming at her to turn and run, but it was too late. Within a split second, Chat Noir had pounced on her. He easily knocked her over and pinned her to the blood-stained floor. Marinette screamed as she felt the blood soak through her hair and into her clothes. Chat sat straddling her stomach, while Marinette did everything she could to try and shake him off her.

He had her too well pinned though. She was trapped.

With one hand, he easily grabbed both of Marinette's wrists and pinned them above her head. Marinette continued to thrash, screaming and yelling, hoping in the vain that someone would hear her. Chat Noir remained unphased. Reaching down with his free hand, a devilish smirk formed on his face as he placed his fingers on one of her earrings…

"NOOOOOOOO!" Marinette screamed as her eyes snapped open and she bolted upright in bed.

Once again, she was drenched in cold sweat, and her racing heart felt like it might shatter her rib cage and burst free. Her breath came out in laboured pants as Marinette stared around her room, fearful and disorientated. In her sleep, she had kicked her sheets off herself, and Marinette's breathing began to steady slightly when she realised it had all just been a dream.

"Marinette!" Tikki cried out, immediately appearing in front of her face.

"Tikki!" Marinette was unable to hold back her sobs. "I-it was a-awful."

Marinette continued to cry uncontrollably, bringing her knees up to her chest before she curled into the tightest ball she possibly could. The fresh memories of her nightmare continued to haunt her. The blood, the darkness, the crying baby…Chat Noir…

"Another nightmare?" Tikki sighed sympathetically, hovering closer.

Marinette could only bring herself to nod. That's when she noticed it. The unmistakable throbbing pain on her forehead. Just like…Marinette gasped and reached for the compact mirror she kept on a shelf next to her bed while Tikki watched her curiously and with a hint of concern. Marinette opened the mirror and pushed her bangs out of her face to reveal the top of her face. There, in the middle of her forehead, was a fresh bump rising out of her skin. In the exact same spot she had banged her head on the invisible wall in her dream.

This caused Marinette to shriek in fear and immediately drop her mirror.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked slowly with a panicked edge to her voice.

The young hero managed to get some sense of control over her horrified sobbing to at least speak properly. "Tikki…in my dream…I bumped my head…and I've just woken up with the exact same injury I got in my dream!"

Tikki's eyes widened. "Okay, okay, calm down ssssh," Tikki tried to reassure her before continuing, "are you sure you didn't just bang your head in your sleep?"

"I don't know…I'm really scared, Tikki. These dreams are getting more and more terrifying."

The red kwami hovered closer, resting her head against Marinette's tear-stained cheek before rubbing soothing circles into her skin with her little red arm. "Why don't you tell me about it?"

Marinette sniffed. "I was in this dark void, like the dream I had when I was attacked by Dreamscape. I was forced to follow a trail of blood and it led me to a door. I went inside, and everything was all weird and grey. I continued to follow the blood and it led me to a man. He was laying dead on the floor, Tikki! There was blood everywhere! I turned around to run away when I saw those orange eyes watching me again. I backed away and that's when I bumped into Chat. He said some strange things to me, and he knew I was Ladybug. He attacked me, pinned me down and…"

"And what?" Tikki encouraged, sounding desperate.

"He tried to take my miraculous." Marinette began crying into her hands, shaking and shivering from the horrible memories of the nightmare.

Tikki remained quiet for a few moments, letting Marinette get it all out of her system.

"What's happening to me, Tikki?" Marinette asked once her sobs had died down slightly. She peered down at Tikki, whose blue eyes looked slightly rattled and nervous.

"I don't know Marinette, but I wish we did."

"We have to talk to Master Fu," Marinette begged.

"No," Tikki insisted, her face morphing into a more serious expression, "I was specifically ordered not to bring up his past or anything that might relate to it."

"But this is ridiculous!" Marinette cried out, lowering her voice slightly when Tikki shushed her. "Maybe I'm losing my mind!" Then Marinette gasped loudly. "What if the peacock miraculous holder is after me? What if this is their power?!"

"Now you're just being silly, Marinette," Tikki sighed, "remember, Hawkmoth likely has the peacock miraculous, and if I remember correctly, to use their powers, the peacock miraculous user has to be close to their intended target. And if they were close, I would sense it."

Marinette's eyes widened. "I'm not hearing a denial on the fact that this is their power."

Tikki growled lowly to herself. "Alright, yes, I admit you were right on that one. The peacock miraculous grants the power of total control of the mind."

"Wait…isn't that Hawkmoth's power?"

"To an extent. The butterfly brooch allows you to grant people power and use them for your cause. The peacock brooch on the other hand allows you to completely invade someone's mind. You can take total physical and mental control of them, see into their deepest memories and manipulate their own mind against them. It's an awful power when used for the wrong purposes," Tikki explained, shuddering slightly.

Marinette remained in stunned silence for a few seconds. "That's awful."

"But that's not what's happening to you," Tikki quickly interjected, "I'm actually not too sure what's happening to you to be completely honest. I just know it's similar to what happened to one of my previous holders."

"Which is why we need Master Fu," Marinette insisted.

Tikki merely shook her head.

Despite her anger at Tikki's reluctance to speak with Master Fu, Marinette felt her heart finally calm down. She grabbed her phone to check the time which brightly displayed that it was four in the morning. Marinette let out a deep sigh and threw herself back down against her bed. All she could do was stare at the ceiling. There was no way in hell she was going back to sleep. Her heartbeat began to pick up again slightly at the mere thought.

The nightmares appeared to be only getting worse. Marinette began to ponder whether she should tell Chat Noir. Maybe he had been having dreams too? Then maybe together they could figure out what they mean. But…what if he wasn't? And then Marinette just came across as completely crazy? Would her dreams in which they steal each other's miraculous scare him? Would he then start mistrusting her? But she had also just promised to not keep any more important secrets from him. What if this was important?

With a heavy sigh, Marinette flung herself back out of bed. She could feel Tikki's eyes boring into her as she climbed down her ladder and made her way towards her desk before sitting down. She switched one of her lamps on and pulled out her sketchbook along with a pencil.

"What are you doing, Marinette? Shouldn't you be getting back to sleep?" Tikki inquired, looking confused.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Like I could get back to sleep after that ordeal."

The bump on her head throbbed painfully at that very thought. This caused Marinette to begin internally panicking again. Then again, surely Tikki was right and it was just a coincidence. Maybe she had bumped her head in her sleep, and thus, that was why it happened in her dream as well.

But Marinette had never injured herself in her sleep before. She had always been such a deep sleeper and rarely moved. Then again, she had also rarely dreamed up until last week when all of this had started. Marinette was still leaning towards the idea that she was going crazy.

Shaking her head to dispel those thoughts, Marinette opened her sketchbook and began doodling away to help her take her mind off things. The whole time, Marinette continued to feel her red kwami burning holes in the back of her head.

Finally, Tikki had had enough.

"You can't just put off sleep because you're afraid of having another nightmare Marinette."

"Who said anything about being afraid?" Marinette innocently questioned as she chewed the end of her pencil.

Tikki rolled her eyes. "I think we both know the reason you won't go back to sleep is because you're scared, Marinette."

Marinette pretended not to hear, going back to sketching out her design that was turning into a rather nice-looking scarf. She did her best to focus on every stroke of her pencil, ignoring the tired burning of her eyes as she continued to work. Her design reminded her of the scarf that she had designed Adrien for his birthday a few years ago. The thought of Adrien immediately had a calming effect on her. However, before she could begin daydreaming about the love of her life, Tikki's words rained on her like a cold shower.

"Marinette, there's no shame in being scared," Tikki tried to reassure her, "it's understandable with the nightmares you've been having lately. But you can't fight off sleep forever – it's impossible. Not to mention it will start effecting your school work and your abilities as Ladybug."

"I know, Tikki," Marinette sighed. "I'm not scared, I just…I’m worried about the next nightmare possibly being worse."

"You can't afford to think like that Marinette."

"Again, I know. It's just difficult not to." Marinette put her pencil down and leaned back in her desk chair, folding her arms. "I just wish I knew what it all meant. Every new dream becomes even more nonsensical than the previous one. You say it's a bad omen, especially if I'm fighting Chat Noir, but what does the other stuff mean? How is it that I'm dreaming of things that are linked to the peacock miraculous holder? And what's the other stuff? The lady on the mountain? The man I dreamed about tonight? I don't have enough of a disturbed and vivid imagination to come up with all of that on my own."

"I don't know, Marinette." Tikki looked defeated and frustrated. "The other stuff might not even mean anything, they could just simply be weird dreams that get thrown in with the Chat Noir ones."

Marinette wasn't convinced by that answer. However, Marinette didn't want to dwell on it too much. Not until she had some decent possible answers, and Tikki wasn't providing her with any of those at the moment.

To try and keep herself calm, Marinette went back to her design again. The thought of Chat Noir had her adding little black paw prints on the bottom edges of the scarf without her properly realising what she was doing.

Soon, rays of sunlight began to shine through her window. Her eyes continued to feel heavy and sting slightly, and Marinette began to dread what her current physical appearance was. She knew she must look like a wreck.

Putting her pencil down, Marinette then switched off her lamp and did her normal morning routine. Once she was dressed and ready, she made her way downstairs, ready to face her parents again. Maybe this time, she could talk to them properly about this work experience placement. However, when she reached the bottom of her steps, she froze when she realised that the apartment was empty. Her eyes then zeroed in on a note that had been left on the kitchen counter which she picked up to read.

_Gone out for the day with friends. Hope you have a good day.  See you later._

_Love, mom and dad._

Marinette frowned. That was odd. She never heard them moving around this morning, and why didn't they come to tell her in person? Her parents rarely went out with friends; they were always too busy. Then again, maybe they finally found the time. Despite how they treated her yesterday, Marinette did feel like they deserved a break. Maybe once they were de-stressed, Marinette could finally talk to them properly.

Placing the note back down, Marinette fixed herself a bowl of cereal before eating with Tikki in silence. However, Marinette just ended up mainly pushing the sugary cereal around in her bowl, occasionally forcing herself to swallow a bite and giving the odd spoonful to her sweet-toothed kwami, which she very much appreciated. Marinette laughed as Tikki swallowed another huge mouthful, who then smiled at seeing her holder finally smiling and laughing again.

Once she was finished, Marinette quickly washed up before standing awkwardly in the middle of her family's apartment, not really knowing what to do with herself. She could patrol the city as Ladybug, however she didn't really trust herself with how tired she was feeling. She really hoped that Hawkmoth didn't decide to attack today. That's when Marinette noticed that her parents had left their bedroom door open slightly.

"Y'know, Tikki, this might be a good chance to try and figured out what my parents were hiding from me." Marinette smirked, remembering how she reasoned that she would have to go snooping to see if she could find anything.

"Marinette!" Tikki scolded. "You can't go snooping through your parents' bedroom!"

Marinette sighed. "I know it's not ideal, but I don't completely buy what they told me yesterday."

"I know they were behaving suspiciously, but maybe they'll tell you when they're good and ready," Tikki tried to talk Marinette out of it.

Marinette frowned. "You heard my mom though, she said she didn't want me to know."

With that, Marinette's mind was made up.

Ignoring Tikki's protesting, Marinette marched into her parents' bedroom. It was small with a large double bed taking up most of the space. It was the wooden drawers on either side of the bed that Marinette was interested in. She decided snooping in the drawers on her mother's side of the bed would be her best bet.

She opened the top drawer and frowned when all she saw was the typical stuff. Just a lot of old bills and small nick-nacks. After shutting that drawer, Marinette opened the bottom one, and once again found nothing of interest. This drawer was mainly filled with photo albums from her childhood, along with a few loose, much older photos.

There was one of her parents getting married, and few of them were of her parents on what looked like dates. There was also one of her mother standing happy and smiling next to a Chinese man that Marinette did not recognise. He looked quite a lot like her mother though, with thick black hair and grey eyes, so Marinette just assumed that he was some family member she had never met. With a defeated sigh, Marinette placed the photos neatly back and gently shut the drawer again. Her father's side didn't yield much either, just lots of scraps of paper with rough notes for new recipes.

Letting out another defeated sigh, Marinette stopped snooping, instead simply sitting on the edge of her parents' bed. "I was so sure if they were hiding something, I'd find the answers in here."

Tikki looked smug. "See, snooping gets you nowhere. Maybe your parents were in fact telling the truth?"

"I guess…" Marinette sighed, feelings of guilt beginning to bubble up inside her. "Their behaviour was still pretty weird though." She scrunched up her nose at the memory of the argument she’d had with her mother when she suddenly back peddled on her agreement to let Marinette do the work placement with Nina.

Something just suddenly felt incredibly… _off_ …to Marinette, and it was bugging her that she couldn't quite pin-point it. Marinette usually had great instincts, however, after being wrong about Gabriel Agreste being Hawkmoth, she wasn't so quick to trust her gut anymore. So maybe she was wrong about this as well and was just being paranoid? Why would her parents hide anything from her anyway? They were always such a close and loving family.

Until she had become Ladybug, Marinette had never kept any secrets from them, and presumably, the opposite was the case as well. Not to mention her parents were often terrible liars. They could never even handle organising a surprise birthday party for her without giving it away. Marinette chuckled at that thought. But still, her head was spinning with everything that had been going on lately, and she wasn't sure how much more weirdness she could take.

"Ugh, I've gotta get out of the house," Marinette groaned, abruptly standing up, startling Tikki slightly. "I need to do something to distract myself."

"Just be careful," Tikki warned as she flew into Marinette's purse just as the young hero swung it over her shoulder.

Marinette then made her way out of the apartment and through the bakery. The crisp air of the approaching autumn instantly hit her once she was outside, and Marinette breathed it in, letting it wash away most of her anxieties after the awful and rough night she’d had. Thinking about the scarf she had designed, Marinette realised that she needed to stock up on material. Maybe a little bit of retail therapy was just what she needed to hopefully calm down.

After all, how eventful could a simple shopping trip be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm really sorry about disappearing. I got super stressed and needed to re-set myself, and I also got really sick on top of that as well. But hopefully NOW I'm back and will be continuing my usual update schedule. Also, I'm not really sure if I should include a warning for graphic violence? If you guys feel like there needs to be, please let me know. Thank you so much for reading as well as leaving comments and kudos!


	18. Sinister Revelations

It was lucky that the daytime air was starting to become crisp and a little on the cooler side. The autumn air felt wonderful against Marinette's skin; it was incredibly refreshing. Right now, it was the only thing that was helping her keep her eyes open. Her lids felt heavy, like her eyelashes suddenly weighed over one hundred pounds. Her legs felt like they were made of lead as she dragged them along the concrete pavement. To the outside world, she must look like a zombie right now.

Going outside was starting to look more and more like a bad idea. Marinette garnered a few stares from passers-by as she swayed slightly while waiting at the crossing point. She was starting to feel and look drunk. But she didn't want to stay at home. If she stayed at home, she risked dozing off and having more awful nightmares. Plus, this was her chance to get the new materials she had been desperately needing. She was running low on practically everything.

Marinette decided it would be best to just stick with the small shopping plaza that was nearest to her apartment. She had planned on heading towards the mall, but staying closer to home, especially in her current state, seemed like the better idea.

The wide-open plaza was quiet, almost practically deserted since it was Sunday – something that Marinette was incredibly grateful for. She knew she wasn't in the mood to deal with huge crowds of shoppers today.

Feeling her eyes burning, Marinette blinked and shook her head in order to try force her body and brain to wake up some more. Every time she did blink, Marinette felt like she was taking a huge risk. If she closed her eyes, even if she just thought it would be for a millisecond, they might never open again, and she would pass out right in the middle of the street. That would probably be a new low for her, even after crashing into her crush's window last week like she did. Marinette shuddered at the embarrassing memory.

Trying her best to push the memories of her embarrassing awkwardness aside, Marinette spotted one of her favourite arts and crafts stores and made her way inside. The warm air of the store instantly made Marinette feel even sleepier, and she had to momentarily pause in the entrance to catch her bearings.

After her swaying had settled down, Marinette made her way towards the sections where materials were kept. The shop was deserted, and it only seemed to be Marinette inside, apart from the middle-aged woman working behind the register who was busy reading a magazine.

Frowning in slight annoyance, Marinette couldn't seem to find the shade of green that she had in mind for the scarf she had sketched earlier this morning. Then again, Marinette paused, she hadn't exactly decided what she was going to make it out of. Should she knit it out of wool? It had been a while since she had knitted. Maybe crochet? Autumn and winter were approaching so maybe it was best to make it out of wool.

Turning around to the opposite shelf that displayed hundreds of balls of wool in a wide variety of colours, Marinette could just about see, much to her delight, the shade of green she had in mind at the back of the bottom shelf. She bent down and stuck her head and hand in before she grabbed hold of the ball of yarn, smiling in satisfaction.

"Hello, Marinette," a warm, high-pitched voice suddenly greeted Marinette from behind.

This made her jump, and Marinette let out a small surprised shriek, instantly bolting upright. However, she had forgotten that she was under a metallic shelf, and her head painfully slammed against the shelf above her in her attempt to quickly stand up. Marinette cried out in pain as she nearly knocked the shelf out of its brackets, creating a loud clanging noise in the process and sending a few balls of yarn flying everywhere.

Marinette clung onto the back of her head as it began throbbing, and she finally managed to extract herself from underneath the shelf to stand up, though her knees buckled slightly in her tired and pain ridden state.

"Marinette, I'm so sorry!" Nina cried out. "I didn't mean to make you jump. I just saw you walking into the store and I felt like I had to say a quick hello."

Marinette forced out a fake chuckle, despite the immense pain she was in. Her whole face was flushed and now she felt like she might collapse for an entirely different reason. "I-it's alright."

"Hey!" the woman at the register called. "What's going on back there?"

"Sorry ma'am, I just banged my head, I haven't damaged anything," Marinette called back in reassurance, and when she received no reply, figured she had gotten away with what just happened.

She turned back to Nina with an awkward smile, her beautiful blue eyes sparkled slightly in amusement.

"It's not funny," Marinette pouted, her face flushing an even brighter shade of red.

Nina bit her lip to contain a smirk. "I wasn't laughing."

Marinette gripped the green yarn in her hand tighter, wondering if it was big enough to hide her face behind. Maybe she could be sucked in between the thick strings and disappear into the warm and cozy void, never to be seen again.

Marinette's head then erupted into another painful throb, bringing her back down to reality. Some lucky bug she was. Couldn't even simply go to the store without embarrassing herself in front of…her boss. That was right – Nina was technically her boss now. That thought made Marinette groan and bury her face in the thick ball of wool, and this time, Nina couldn't contain her chuckle.

"I'm so sorry, I can be so clumsy sometimes…often…most of the time," Marinette sighed, her voice muffled slightly by the wool.

"Why are you apologising?" Nina asked, still sounding amused. "It happens to the best of us."

Marinette peered out from behind her tiny hiding place to finally look back at Nina. Her eyes were sparkling as she stared at her, and her arms were folded across her chest while she leaned her hip to the side slightly. How could someone so beautiful and glamourous still want to talk to her after what she just did? Anyone else would be slowly backing away in fear and concern over Marinette's weird and clumsy behaviour. Yet, Nina just seemed so accepting of her and all her weird quirks.

Maybe she was going to really enjoy working for her. The thought warmed Marinette's heart and instantly swayed her against possibly calling off the work experience placement. It wouldn't be fair to mess around someone so kind.

Now that Marinette thought about it, Nina really had done a lot for her and yet they barely knew each other, only having had two proper conversations together. It made Marinette question even more the bad feeling she had gotten when first talking to her. It was clearly unjustified and unwarranted.

However, Marinette was brought out of her daydream by her head throbbing again, only this time more painfully, rendering Marinette unable to resist moving a hand up to place it on her head.

"Is it still hurting?" Nina gasped, suddenly looking concerned. "Here, let me have a look."

Marinette took an automatic step back, laughing nervously. "Ah, that's okay, I'm sure it's nothing."

Nina frowned. "I think we should leave it up to me to decide whether or not it's nothing."

Without waiting for Marinette's reply, Nina gently grabbed Marinette's shoulders and spun her around so she could easily see the back of her head. Marinette remained still, her blue eyes widening in shock at Nina's actions. She could feel Nina's warm, thin fingers combing through her thick dark hair, examining her head.

Marinette wasn't going to lie that she found it a little bit invasive, but at the same time, she was flattered that Nina seemed to care about her wellbeing so much. It kind of reminded her of her own mother's slightly smothering nature. Marinette winced as she was yanked out of her deep thoughts by the feeling of Nina gently pressing the obvious bump that was beginning to form on the back of Marinette's head. Great, Marinette thought to herself, another injury to add to the list. Now she seemed to be sporting two rather impressive bumps on her head as well as that ugly graze, which, thankfully, was now starting to show signs of healing, having shrunk slightly and scabbed over.

Nina hummed, deep in thought. "I don't think it's anything worth rushing you to the hospital for." She commented, finally releasing Marinette, much to her relief. "But still, I'd keep an eye on it if I were you; it looks like it's going to turn into a pretty nasty bump."

Marinette waved her off. "I'm used to being covered in bumps and bruises. I wasn't kidding when I said I was clumsy."

Nina giggled. "Well remind me when you're doing your shifts with me not to let you run with scissors. I don't want a health and safety lawsuit."

Marinette laughed with her, feeling slightly more relaxed now. "Don't worry, my parents taught me that from a very young age."

Nina's eye twitched slightly and she pressed her lips into a tight line before her expression went back to normal. In fact, the changing of her facial expression was so quick, Marinette wasn't even sure if she'd picked up on it correctly, if at all. The sight made Marinette start to feel slightly awkward.

The conversation seemed to have gone a bit stale, and Marinette wasn't sure what to say. What exactly did you talk about with a celebrity? Marinette felt unworthy to be in her very presence, let alone hold a conversation with her. Nina didn't seem to be in any rush to go anywhere though as she continued to stare at Marinette in a way that made her feel like she was a goldfish trapped in a fish tank, or some sort of cornered animal.

Marinette was sure that Nina wasn't intending to make Marinette feel uncomfortable, but she was. Though Marinette knew it was just her being silly. She was probably just intimidated because she was a famous fashion designer and all of Marinette's hopes and dreams were suddenly counting on this woman. She wanted to make a good impression.

But still, why were her instincts suddenly screaming at her again? They were obviously getting mixed up and confused, just like when she had been the presence of Gabriel Agreste.

"You look really tired, Marinette," Nina noted as she narrowed her eyes at the dark circles under Marinette's eyes and the bloodshot red vessels in her sclera.

Looking away self-consciously, Marinette sighed. "Yeah, I haven't really been sleeping all that well lately."

"Oh?" Nina subtly asked for details.

"I dunno," Marinette spoke with a dismissive frown, feeling even more fatigued now that Nina had brought it up, "these past few days I just keep having these really bad nightmares and it's disturbing my sleep. I know, I sound like some sort of little kid." Marinette shrunk back slightly in shame.

Nina shook her head. "Not at all. Nightmares are always awful." Her lip twitched upward slightly at that remark. "What do you dream about then? It must be pretty bad to make you this tired."

Marinette sighed. "It sounds crazy, but it's almost as if something is trying to tell me something," she explained as she thought back to her most recent nightmare last night. The way she had been pushed and encouraged towards that awful scene. The way she had been led towards that woman, crying and injured on the mountain side, only to be then seemingly dragged away by an invisible force.

Maybe this was part of the bad omen that Tikki had been warning her about? Something, maybe even Marinette's own subconscious, was trying to warn her about something. But what? Marinette desperately wished that she knew that answer to that question.

"How do you mean?" Nina seemed confused and…nervous?

"It's hard to explain." Marinette frowned, deep in thought, trying her best to think of an explanation. "I just keep being forced to witness these horrible visions." Marinette looked away, fighting back tears of fear. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Talking about it might help though," Nina encouraged, snaking an arm around Marinette's shoulder.

The sensation sent a shiver up Marinette's spine, though she tried to hide it. If Nina noticed, she didn't comment on it, nor did she let go of Marinette's shoulder.

"I used to have really bad night terrors too,” Nina continued, “then again, I've been through things that you couldn't even possibly imagine."

Marinette watched slightly startled as Nina's face turned dark. Her sparkly blue eyes went instantly dull and turned to stone as hard as sapphires. Her delicate blonde eyebrows furrowed, creating a deep and sinister line on her glabella. Marinette wasn't going to lie that it was slightly intimidating, though her curiosity as to what Nina was talking about peaked.

Marinette never really imagined this glamourous woman going through anything horrible in life. She looked like one of those innocent and naïve women, born with a silver spoon in her mouth. That's when Marinette began to think back. Nina had seemed to have implied that she wasn't always rich and famous. If Marinette remembered correctly, she was sure she remembered Nina saying that she rose from nothing. That was pretty impressive, and made Marinette have a newfound respect for Nina. Not only that, it inspired her. If Nina could come from nothing, and from an obvious traumatic past like she was currently implying, then maybe Marinette could make it too.

It made Marinette feel even guiltier about reconsidering the work placement offer. It was clear that Nina wanted to offer Marinette a slightly easier ride that she ever received.

"I'm sorry," Marinette whispered, not sure what to say after Nina's revelation.

"Don't worry about it," Nina quickly brushed it off, though her eyes remained lifeless and cold. "It's all in the past. I'm sure your nightmares can't be that bad."

Containing a whimper at the memories, Marinette explained as best she could without going into too much detail. "Oh, just walking into this small house where a man is lying dead and covered in blood while a baby was screaming, and also having a dream about finding a woman bleeding to death on the side of a mountain."

Nina froze, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. "Wait, what?"

"I should probably go and pay for this," Marinette announced, holding up the green wool, pretending not to hear what Nina had just said in the hopes of moving on from this conversation. Marinette could barely handle talking to Tikki about these things, never mind a woman who was practically a total stranger.

Marinette turned around, leaving behind a stunned and still frozen Nina. She made her way to the register and placed the wool on the counter, letting the woman scan it. That's when Marinette felt a hand on her shoulder just as she was getting out her purse.

"Don't worry, I'll get this," Nina said, handing the woman behind the register her card.

"Oh, no, really that's not necessary!" Marinette tried to protest.

"So, about this man and this woman you saw?" Nina ignored Marinette's stuttering protests, forcing her card into the woman's hand without even sparing her a glance.

Marinette stared at Nina, utterly perplexed. Was Nina…trembling?

"I-I don't know. I've never seen them before, but the dream sure was freaky. I don't really want to talk about it."

"This woman, what did she look like?" Nina demanded as Marinette gratefully took her bag of yarn off the woman behind the cash register.

It was starting to scare Marinette slightly that Nina seemed so keen to find out what Marinette had been dreaming about. Why did she want to know? Why did she care so much? Her slightly frantic behaviour was really starting to put Marinette on edge.

"Again, I don't know," Marinette tried to explain as she backed away from the register, refusing to meet Nina's intimidating and desperate eyes. "She was…pale? I couldn't really see properly because she was cloaked and covered in blood. Though…I think her eyes were…orange."

A chill vibrated through every cell in Marinette's body at the mere thought of those bright orange eyes. Nina, however, remained still and expressionless, staring down at the floor. Even the woman behind the register was giving her a weird look. Marinette wasn't sure what to do or say. Was this somehow bringing back bad memories for Nina? But, she was the one who insisted on knowing, much to Marinette's malcontent.

Unable to muster up the courage to say anything or even look at Nina at the moment, Marinette found her gaze gravitating towards the window. That's when Marinette let out a loud, awkward shriek. Sitting outside on a bench was none other than Adrian Agreste.

Oh no! Marinette's luck couldn't get any worse!

He couldn't see her in this state! She hadn't washed her hair and she looked incredibly rough with bags under her tired and bloodshot eyes. And he would see her the moment that she opened the door. At the moment, he was sat with his head in his hands, gazing down at the ground, his eyes watching the pigeons as they waddled past. Adrien then sneezed, and Marinette couldn't help but think how cute he looked.

Shaking her head, Marinette began looking frantically around, trying to come up with some sort of plan to either get out without being seen, or to at least look slightly more presentable.

"What's got you suddenly so anxious?" Nina chuckled, seemingly back to normal after that weird episode she seemed to have a few minutes ago.

"N-nothing," Marinette stuttered, her eyes gravitating towards Adrien and then away again.

Nina followed her line of sight before her eyes widened in shock.

"Marinette? Do you like that boy?" Nina quizzed, a large smirk forming on her face.

"What?! No! I mean – is it that obvious? No!" Marinette squealed.

Unexpectedly, Nina suddenly burst into fits of laughter, much to Marinette's embarrassment. She watched with wide eyes as Nina clutched her stomach as she continued to laugh uncontrollably, and Marinette couldn't help but feel slightly offended and uncomfortable.

Finally catching sight of Marinette's miserable and humiliated expression, Nina finally brought her laughter under control and stood up straighter, looking at Marinette slightly sympathetically, though amusement still lit up her eyes.

"Sorry." Nina giggled again. "I'm not laughing at you. It's just I can't believe that Gabriel Agreste's son and my… _never mind_." Nina covered her mouth, her blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

Her words did nothing to reassure Marinette. She stole one last glance at Adrien, who still didn't appear to have spotted her, before she looked down at the white tiled floor. Marinette sighed miserably, clasping her hands together behind her back, digging her nails into the plastic handles of the bag she was now carrying.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter anyway," Marinette mumbled sadly, "because it's not like he's ever going to like me back."

"Hey, now where's this come from?" Nina's voice softened and she placed both hands on Marinette's shoulders before freeing one of them to place a finger under Marinette's chin, forcing her to look up at her. "What did I tell you a yesterday? If you want something really badly, you have to fight for it. And that didn't sound like fighting talk to me."

Marinette sighed, slightly forcing her chin out of Nina's grip which made her frown for a split second before she plastered a concerned expression back on her face.

"I don't know. It's just…you're right. He's the son of _Gabriel Agreste._ I don't stand a chance."

Nina rolled her eyes. "You just go for it girl, and if you want, you can let _me_ handle Gabriel Agreste. That big bully doesn't scare me."

Marinette chuckled.

"Now go out there and fight for your man. It's been nice talking to you. I'll see you next Saturday and you better give me all the details," Nina demanded.

All Marinette could do was widen her eyes in confusion as Nina grabbed her shoulders again and twisted her around before all but pushing Marinette out of the door to the store. Marinette stumbled slightly and shrieked when Adrien looked up and saw her. She turned back around to stare at Nina incredulously. Nina winked and gave her a thumbs up sign before she exited the store herself and walked away.

Staring back at a confused looking Adrien, Marinette smiled awkwardly, and he smiled back before he waved for her to come closer. Marinette obliged, gripping her bag tightly while maintaining an unnaturally wide and awkward smile on her face.

"H-hey Marinette," Adrien greeted.

Despite his smile, his green eyes remained, sad and Marinette wondered what seemed to have him looking so glum today.

"Errrr, hey yourself." Marinette tried to act cool, but just ended up sounding cheesy and weird in the process.

 _Oh great! For once just try and act normal_ , Marinette mentally scolded herself.

Adrien smiled and gestured to the spot next him, a silent request for Marinette to take a seat next to him. Gulping, Marinette silently accepted his invitation and sat down next to him, though she made sure to keep some space between them. She didn't want to risk them touching, which she knew would have an embarrassing and disastrous effect on her. For now, he was the flame and she was a moth, and she wanted to prevent herself from being burned. The urge to touch him was always so tempting, but she knew it would overstep his boundaries and just make her look weird and creepy.

They sat in silence for a few seconds. Marinette sat stiffly, not knowing what to say to fill the almost unbearable silence between them. Adrien himself seemed just as lost for words as she was, staring straight ahead almost robotically.

Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"So, what's in the bag?" he innocently inquired.

"Oh, just some wool so I can make something for a friend. An apology gift I guess." Marinette pulled the dark green wool out of the bag, briefly showing Adrien before placing it back inside the bag.

"An apology gift?"

Marinette sighed. "I haven't exactly been the greatest friend to him lately, so I was hoping to make something to cheer him up."

"Oh," was all Adrien glumly responded with as he went back to staring at the ground.

"Adrien?" Marinette cautiously asked him. "Is something wrong?"

Adrien sighed. "I wouldn't want to bore or inconvenience you."

"Don't be ridiculous," Marinette patiently reassured him. "If something is upsetting you, you know you can always talk to me if you feel you need to, right?"

Adrien looked up, and for the first time, offered her a genuine smile. "Thanks, Marinette. You're a really good friend."

_Friend._

That word sliced through her heart like a sharp sword just like it always did when Adrien used that word to describe her.

It felt like Marinette might fall down and bleed out on the ground right there and then. However, she had to force her heart to magically sow itself back together. She couldn't afford to think like that right now. Not when Adrien was hurting so much. He clearly needed her right now, and Marinette couldn't afford to get selfishly upset over one simple and insignificant word.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Marinette offered. "I am a good listener, and like you said in the park yesterday, you like to get things off your chest."

"Wow." Adrien sounded astonished. "You remembered that?"

"Yeah?" Marinette was curious as to why Adrien sounded so surprised that she listened to him. "It was obviously something that was really important to you."

Adrien smiled warmly at her and scooted slightly closer towards her. "You're making me feel slightly better already." He let out a light chuckle, though there was still a sad and melancholic edge to it that Marinette easily picked up on.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng to the rescue." She smiled.

"It's just…I ran away from home this morning," Adrien explained with a frown.

"What? Why?" Marinette asked.

Now that Adrien mentioned it, she did notice that either his father, his bodyguard or Nathalie were around. Adrien was hardly ever allowed to go outside without at least one of them.

Adrien took a while to respond. "It's the anniversary of my mother's…disappearance today."

Marinette gasped. "Oh my gosh, Adrien, I'm so sorry." She automatically reached out her hand and placed it gently on his arm, ignoring the electrical sparks it sent through her body.

"It's alright." Adrien placed his larger hand delicately on top of hers for comfort. "I wanted to spend some time with my father today, to maybe hopefully talk about it together to help each other get through it. But he didn't want to know. He insisted he was too busy. I couldn't take it, so I just ran."

"I'm sure your father is finding it very difficult too. Shutting himself away from the world is probably just his way of dealing with things." Marinette did her best to explain and comfort Adrien.

"I know but…" Adrien sighed. "I do just wish he would let me in sometimes. Ever since mom went missing, he hasn't been the same. I want to help him. I want us to help each other, but he just won't let me."

"Unfortunately, you sometimes can't help people until they want to be helped," Marinette explained sadly. "I'm sure he'll let you in eventually. You just need to give him time. Until then, I know it won't be the same, but you have me, and you have Nino and Alya. We'll always be here if you need to talk and get things off your chest. Especially this time of year. You don't have to be alone in this, Adrien."

"Marinette…" Adrien gasped out and stared at her in awe and shock. Marinette smiled gently back, glad to see that there was some sort of sparkle back in Adrien's deep green eyes.

Both of their cheeks flushed a delicate shade of red as Adrien's grip on Marinette's hand tightened slightly. Adrien swallowed, and Marinette watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down slightly as he did so. Her eyes soon gravitated towards his lips, and Marinette found herself licking her own. Unconsciously, they began very slowly leaning towards each other, like Marinette was a lost planet, ensnared by the unbearable gravitational pull of the warm, shining sun that was Adrien Agreste. Their lips were so tantalisingly close…

"ADRIEN!" a deep voice bellowed from nearby, and Adrien and Marinette both shrieked in fear and surprise, jolting away from each other like repelling magnets.

They both turned to gaze at where the source of the yelling was coming from, and Adrien groaned when they caught sight of Gabriel leaning his head out of the open back window of their car, glaring menacingly at them with his steely grey eyes.

"Get in the car this instant!" Gabriel ordered, and Adrien immediately bowed his head obediently, muttering a quick goodbye to Marinette before walking over to the silver car. His bodyguard climbed out of the front seat and opened the back door, ready for Adrien to climb inside.

"You are never to run away like that again," Marinette heard Gabriel scold Adrien as he climbed into the car.

His large gorilla-like bodyguard slammed the door shut behind Adrien, sadly cutting off Marinette's view of him. Gabriel turned back around to gaze out of the window, his grey eyes locking with Marinette's blue ones. Gabriel gave her a sinister smirk which sent a chill from the top of Marinette's head to the tip of her toes. He kept his gaze glued on her as he slowly rolled up his dark-tinted window, finally freeing Marinette from his intense stare before they drove off, leaving a very confused and startled Marinette behind.

That's when it dawned on her.

She had been about to kiss... _Adrien Agreste!_

Surely, this was all just a dream and Marinette would soon wake up much to her chagrin.

Just to be sure, Marinette pinched herself, but no, she didn't wake up. She wasn't dreaming. That must mean that her near kiss had really happened.

At that thought, Marinette slouched. _Near_ kiss. As in, it hadn't happened. They had been interrupted by his father. That thought caused Marinette's face to erupt into a bright shade of red. How much had his father seen?! Oh no, Marinette had been so wrong.

It turned out one simple shopping trip could be _very_ eventful.

~~

As Nina Couture practically burst into her office, she erupted into a fresh, uncontrollable fit of laughter. She threw herself down onto her red couch, continuing to laugh loudly and almost manically as Leon quietly entered and closed the double doors behind them before staring at her with a confused frown on his face. Nina still laughed away, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched her stomach and kicked her legs out like a child being tickled.

"What could possibly be so funny, Madame?" Leon found himself unable to resist asking.

Nina managed to force herself to finally calm down slightly and sat up on the couch, wiping away her tears with her pale fingers.

"Adrien Agreste, the son of Gabriel and Emilie…" Nina choked out before she giggled again, "is _Chat Noir!_ "

Leon's eyes widened. "How did you figure that one out?"

"Oh please, Leon, after all this time you still doubt my skills?" Nina raised an eyebrow playfully at her assistant. "No miraculous holder has ever known its magic more than I do. But this, this is so obvious, an amateur could figure this one out."

Leon stared at her blankly.

Nina rolled her eyes. "For someone who wants to be in possession of a miraculous, you're not exactly doing well at learning its history and its magic, Leon." Nina sighed before laughing again. "I can tell because Marinette is in love with him. The ladybug and cat miraculous holders are always close and deeply love each other in one way or another."

"And…you're definitely sure about this, Madame?"

"Leon, what did I say about doubting my skills?" Nina playfully warned. "Oh how ironic destiny can be sometimes. My Ladybug in love with Gabriel and Emilie's son. It's almost too hilarious to comprehend!" She burst into another fit of giggles. "I wonder what poor dear Emilie Agreste would think if she was here right now."

Nina got up and walked over to the window, gazing out with a huge smirk on her face.

"It really is too bad she isn't here to see this unfold. _I made sure of that._ " Nina's smirk widened and grew more manic. "On this very day four years ago in fact. No wonder poor Adrien was looking so miserable today. He's better off without her though."

"Madame, she _was_ the boy's mother," Leon commented.

Nina slowly turned around, shooting Leon a patronising and scolding look before she began wailing, "do you think I care?! After everything that conniving little _bitch_ did to me over the years?! I think what happened to her was the very least of what she deserved!" Nina hissed, venom dripping from each and every word that she spoke.

Nina then turned back around, calming down in a split second before she continued to stare out of the window, watching the city below her. Her manic smile faded slightly, and she folded her arms across her chest. She knew she couldn't afford to get too arrogant right now. She had come so far, but she still had a long way to go in order for her plan to work.

For now, Nina knew she had to tread carefully. Marinette was a very smart girl, and those dreams she was having…surely it couldn't be…there was no way he was that powerful. Still, Nina knew it was best never to underestimate. Though she had to move cautiously, she also knew now more than ever that she had to move quickly before it was too late.

"Make no mistake Leon," Nina announced, a determined frown on her face, "Ladybug will be mine. It is the very purpose that she exists for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Just what exactly is going on? Thank you so much for all of your kind comments! I really appreciate them! Also, thank you on the advice for including warnings. I've now got that taken care of, just in case.


	19. Losing Sanity

"Marinette, it's nearly three in the morning, you can't force yourself to stay up forever," Tikki insisted for the millionth time that night.

All Marinette did was sigh in response as she continued to work on knitting her scarf. Her eye twitched slightly at the fact that, though knitting was supposed to be calming, it didn't seem to be having any effect tonight. Instead, Marinette remained an anxious mess, her mind continually drifting back to her near kiss with Adrien that day.

Her face instantly turned red again at the memory. Had he…had he been leaning in to return the kiss? Marinette found herself unable to trust her own memory. _Oh no_ , how was she going to face him at school tomorrow?! Especially when he was supposed to be tutoring her!

Internally cringing, Marinette tried counting to ten in her head to the rhythm of her knitting, in the hopes of focusing her mind and keeping it off the gorgeousness that was Adrien Agreste. His lips so close to hers… _focus Marinette! One, two, three, four. Loop the yarn around the needle._

Sticking her tongue out in concentration, Marinette did her best to ignore the condescending sighs coming out of her little red companion. She knew Tikki was right. Her eyes were screaming at her and burning from lack of sleep. She just hoped she had enough make-up to cover the dark shadows she knew would be under her eyes tomorrow.

Maybe she could sneak some coffee – even though she didn't like coffee that much. What would Adrien think of her if she came in looking like a zombie? Maybe she _should_ try and get some sleep…no! If she fell asleep then she would likely only have another horrifying nightmare, and Marinette did not want to go through that again. Each nightmare only became worse and worse, and now it was at the point where she was even inflicting injuries upon herself while she was sleeping.

Clearly going to sleep was out of the question tonight.

"You have school tomorrow, Marinette; what if you fall asleep in class?"

Groaning, Marinette finished the scarf and slammed her needles down on her desk in front of her. She loved Tikki with all her heart, but she sure could nag sometimes. It could be like having an extra parent tagging along sometimes.

Tikki stood her ground, shooting Marinette a disapproving look when her holder still didn't answer her. Marinette merely laid back in her chair before searching for some Jagged Stone music in her playlists. Maybe his music would help keep her awake.

"I know what you're doing, Marinette…and please stop ignoring me," Tikki sighed, floating in front of Marinette's face, forcing her holder to look at her.

"Just leave it, Tikki," Marinette pleaded, turning the volume of her music up.

Tikki shook her head. "I know you're scared of going to sleep, Marinette, but you can't stay awake forever. It's not healthy. I know I probably scared you when I said your nightmares could be a bad omen, but they still are just dreams; they can't hurt you."

"It's not that," Marinette sighed out.

"Well, what is it then? Please talk to me, Marinette."

"It's the fact that my dreams are so _disturbing_. Do you think it's fun experiencing all that? Dreaming of gruesome dead bodies, really creepy scenes and orange eyes watching my every move isn't exactly something that makes you feel comfortable shutting your eyes at night. Not to mention the fact that one of my best friends turns against me in my dreams which leads to us stealing each other's miraculous. I get that you're trying to reassure me, Tikki, and I appreciate that, I really do, but right now what I need is a little understanding and not have my fears dismissed." Marinette found herself out of breath by the time her small rant was over. She collapsed down onto her desk, burying her head in her arms.

Tikki began gently stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry," Tikki whispered, "I guess it's just that…well…I'm a little scared too."

"You are?" This made Marinette look up, peaking at her kwami with slightly widened eyes. "I thought kwamis weren't afraid of anything?"

"Quite the contrary," Tikki explained, "we kwamis can get very attached to our holders, and I deeply care about you, Marinette. I don't like seeing you in pain, and I don't like the fact that something indeed might happen to you and I can do nothing to prevent it."

"Something's going to happen to me?!"

Tikki's eyes widened. "No no no, that came out wrong! I just meant in terms of the bad omen. Something might happen with your relationship with Chat Noir, and I'm just worried you guys are going to end up fighting. It's something I don't want to go through again."

Marinette sighed. "I wouldn't worry about that, Tikki. I don't hate Chat Noir. In fact I –"

"What?"

Marinette pressed her lips together into a tight line before looking away awkwardly. "Nothing."

"No, what is it?" Tikki probed.

"It doesn't matter," Marinette insisted, feeling her heart pounding away in her chest.

Thankfully, Tikki didn't press any further much to Marinette's relief. While listening to her music, Marinette began gazing out of her window at the stars, wondering what Chat Noir was doing right now. Tomorrow they had patrol together in the evening, so Marinette was really hoping to get a chance to talk to him about what was going on. After all, she had made him a promise, and if Tikki was correct in her assumption, then this involved him too.

Also, Marinette wondered if Chat Noir was having dreams like this too. Then maybe together, they could figure something out since Master Fu was apparently out of the question. That thought made Marinette frown. However, she tried to push it to the back of her mind for now; she didn't want to get herself too worked up again.

Focusing on the twinkling of the stars, Marinette could feel her eyes growing heavier and heavier, but she managed to fight it off. Laying down clearly wasn't one of her brightest ideas, so Marinette sat up and stretched in an attempt to wake herself up. Her music continued to blare, and Jagged Stone's voice filled the room. As he was in the middle of a guitar solo, Marinette turned around and shrieked in horror at what she saw.

In the middle of her floor, laid the blood covered body of Chat Noir. His blood seeped into her carpet as he lay face down, his features covered by his wild blond hair.

Stumbling out of her chair, tears formed in Marinette's eyes as she stared at the broken body of her partner. Finally, she managed to force herself to take a few steps closer before slowly and gently pushing strands of his hair out of the way, placing her fingers on his neck.

No pulse.

Screaming, Marinette fell backwards, and that's when she noticed she was in her Ladybug costume. This made Marinette gasp; she didn't remember saying _spots on_. Marinette blinked, hoping that Chat Noir's lifeless body would vanish and that this was all just some crazy hallucination.

No such luck.

That's when Marinette looked down. Her hands were soaked in blood – his blood. Worse than that, resting in the palm of her hand was Chat Noir's miraculous. Gasping in fear and shock, Marinette looked back up, only this time, instead of Chat Noir, it was Adrien's lifeless body laying covered in blood in the middle of her bedroom floor.

Screaming, Marinette dropped his ring before yelping in pain as she felt something grab hold of her arm tightly. Marinette twisted around, her eyes widening when she realised that the space around her was completely empty. Despite no one clearly being there, Marinette still felt what felt like a hand was gripping her upper arm tightly, and it squeezed her muscle as if begging for attention.

What was this? A ghost? Or was she just going crazy? Her mind reeled, and her heart felt like it was about to take off out of chest through fear. Tears spilled out of her terror-stricken blue eyes. As the hand continued to squeeze her arm, Marinette let out another scream.

With a jolt, Marinette suddenly felt like she was falling backwards. Her eyes snapped open only to realise too late that she had pushed herself away from her desk. Marinette braced for impact as she fell backwards out of her desk chair and collided with her floor with a painful thump.

"Marinette!" Tikki cried out, flying down towards her from her usual sleeping spot.

Ignoring the pain, Marinette's eyes darted around her bedroom. Bright sunlight was now seeping in through her window, causing Marinette to blink as she remained dazed and confused. With a fearful gasp, Marinette whipped her head around to stare at the middle of her bedroom floor.

No lifeless body of Chat Noir or Adrien was there.

However, Marinette's gaze remained glued to that spot. It had just been a dream. She must have fallen asleep when she laid her head down against her desk. Damn it, Marinette thought to herself, she really needed to be more careful.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Tikki asked when Marinette didn't reply.

Finally, Marinette pried her eyes away from that one spot on her floor. She looked down and slowly nodded, ashamed that this was effecting her so much.

Tikki swooped down and gave her cheek a little nuzzle, and Marinette was grateful for the comfort.

_Throb._

Marinette froze in fear.

_Throb._

No. No no no no no!

Please, _no!_

Marinette remained frozen as her arm continued to throb in pain. Right in the exact spot the invisible hand had grabbed her in her dream. Unable to ignore it any longer, Marinette quickly rolled up the sleeve of her pyjama top and gasped loudly. On her upper arm, a bruise was beginning to form…a bruise in the shape of a handprint.

Shrieking, Marinette dropped the sleeve of her shirt and began freaking out. This couldn't just be some injury she got in her sleep. This…this was something terrifying.

"Tikki," Marinette whimpered, close to tears.

"What is it, Marinette?"

"My-my-my arm," was all Marinette could stutter out.

Tikki stared at her holder, her blue eyes full of confusion and concern. "I don't understand."

"My arm." Marinette rolled up her sleeve again, only this time, she couldn't bring herself to look at it again.

She felt like her throat was painfully contracting, causing her breaths to come out in wild gasps as if she had been running a marathon. Sweat dripped down her face, and her heart was beating so fast, she felt as though she might go into cardiac arrest. The little red kwami inspected her holder's arm, and Marinette shot her an incredulous look when all her kwami did was look at it in confusion.

"You grabbed your arm in your sleep?"

"No!" Marinette shrieked like a crazy person. "Someone else did!"

"Marinette, are you sure? I've been with you the whole time and no one else came into your room while you slept. I would have woken up if they did," Tikki tried her best to calmly explain and reassure her now erratic holder.

"How could it have been me?" Marinette demanded, forcing herself to look down at the bruise on her arm. "Look!" Marinette demanded before taking her own hand and placing it on top of the obvious handprint on her arm.

The evidence was undeniable. The handprint on her arm was much bigger than Marinette's own hand.

Tikki gulped.

"Now do you believe me?!" Marinette cried out, rolling her sleeve back down so she wouldn't have to look at it anymore.

"I…" Tikki looked petrified and completely flummoxed. "I don't understand."

"So this never happened to a past ladybug?" Marinette began pacing her room up and down, running her fingers through her hair and messing it up.

Her eyes were completely wild, unable to stay still as they darted around the room in paranoia and fear. Her skin was sickly pale, and strands of her hair clung to her sweat covered skin. This was all becoming too much. She didn't know how much more she could handle. Her arm continued to throb – a painful reminder that she was losing her mind.

"N-no," Tikki finally responded.

Marinette let out another fearful, unintelligible shriek before quickening her pacing.

"Okay okay, calm down," Tikki tried to soothe her beyond terrified holder, "there's got to be a reasonable explanation."

"Tikki," Marinette hissed, "there's a powerful force invading my dreams, how can any of this be considered reasonable?!"

"I'm only trying to help, Marinette."

Marinette took a deep breath. "I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I understand."

"And I'm sure it's the holder of the peacock miraculous," Marinette insisted. "We've got to go talk to Master Fu! He'll know what to do!"

"No, Marinette!"

"This isn't fair!" Marinette cried out. "There's some dangerous psycho on the loose who's clearly targeting me, and you won't let me go see the one person who could help!"

Tikki frowned. "First of all, we don't even know if it is the peacock miraculous holder. Secondly, I'm under strict instructions from Master Fu to never bring up the peacock miraculous holder, nor am I allowed to constantly bring you to him lest it raise suspicions. Thirdly, even if I could bring you to him, I can't do it right now."

"Why not?" Marinette demanded.

Tikki sighed. "Because you have school in five minutes."

"What?!" Marinette screamed before whipping her head around to look at her computer screen. The bright numbers in the corner clearly displayed the time: eight twenty-five.

Marinette's stomach dropped down to her feet within a split second before she pulled at her pigtails in panic.

"No no no!" she cried out.

But Marinette didn't have time to freeze and panic. With her arms flailing around wildly, she ran around her room picking up her clothes and hastily put them on. She cleaned her teeth and combed her hair as fast as she could before she yanked her backpack off the floor and darted downstairs. She uttered a quick hello to her parents and they waved back, used to their daughter being unorganised and late at this point in her life.

The outside of her school was empty at this point, and Marinette groaned when she heard the bell that ended roll call. Great, now she was going to be late for study period. Late for… _Adrien!_

At that thought, Marinette picked up her pace, running into the school building as fast as possible and charging down the now empty corridors. Why oh why did the library have to be on the other side of the school? It was if the universe was mocking her right now.

Skidding just in time to stop herself from running past the double doors that led to the library, Marinette didn't think and just nosily burst inside.

"I'm here, Adrien!" she called out as she tripped over the threshold, crashing down to the hardwood floor.

People in the library either began shushing her or burst out laughing at her embarrassing display. Like always, Marinette's face immediately turned bright red, and her eyes scanned the library to see Adrien sat at a table waiting for her, giving her an incredulous look before smiling and getting up to walk over to her.

Marinette surrendered herself to the shame and was about to pick herself up when Adrien offered his hand out to her. Marinette stared at it for a few seconds as if it was the most sacred hand in the world before she slowly placed her own hand in his. His hand felt warm and strong around hers; a perfect fit. His skin was smooth and perfect, and Marinette began daydreaming about how wonderful it would feel to be able to hold his hand all the time. Together as boyfriend and girlfriend. As man and wife.

"Marinette?"

The sound of her name snapped her back down to reality with a hard bump. She shook her head, her face turning even redder – if that was even possible at this point – once she realised she had likely been staring at Adrien with a dopey smile on her face this whole time. Marinette awkwardly snatched her hand out of Adrien's, which had already loosened around hers.

Embarrassed, Marinette placed a hand behind her head and tried to act casual.

"Errr, s-sorry, what?" _Nailed it_.

"I said, are you okay Marinette?" Adrien asked with a confused and awkward smile on his face.

"Y-yeah." Marinette did her best to smile reassuringly. "I'm used to injuries from hardwood – I mean – no! That came out really wrong!" Marinette gasped, pulling at her hair, now unable to look Adrien in the eye.

Adrien stared at her with wide eyes for a second before he burst out laughing. Marinette pulled the neckline of her jacket up in an attempt to hide at least some of her crimson red face. Way to make herself look like even more of a creepy weirdo in front of Adrien. And she had been doing so well yesterday to not make a fool of herself in front of him. Except for the… _oh god!_ What if Adrien remembered? What if he noticed that Marinette had been leaning in towards him? What if he didn't want to tutor her now? Marinette wanted to hit herself for being so stupid.

Adrien's laughter finally calmed down. "I never knew you could be so funny, Marinette."

Marinette laughed awkwardly, "When your whole life is a joke, you don't need to put in any effort to be funny."

This just made Adrien burst out laughing again, though he also shot her a sympathetic look. "Aww Marinette, your life isn't a joke."

Marinette just sighed. "Feels that way sometimes."

"Are you alright, Mari?" Adrien asked, growing more and more concerned.

"I'm fine," Marinette lied, her ears perking up at Adrien shortening her name, something which only people who felt like they were close to her did.

Did…did this mean Adrien felt like they were close now? Did he feel comfortable around her now? Marinette struggled to contain her excitement at that thought.

"It's just," Adrien said as he rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks turning slightly pink, "you tend to make self-deprecating jokes when you're upset or stressed."

Marinette blinked. Did she? She had never really noticed before, and she nearly fainted at the fact that Adrien had obviously been paying attention to her if he picked up on a habit that she didn't even realise she had. Honestly, Marinette now found herself completely speechless. Adrien watched her face carefully which made Marinette feel slightly uncomfortable. As if sensing this, Adrien looked down before taking her hand again.

"Come on, let's sit down and you can tell me what you struggle with."

Marinette was grateful for the subject change and had to contain a squeal at the fact that Adrien was holding her hand again. That's when Marinette caught Alya's gaze. She was standing with Nino by one of the book shelves, and they were both staring at her and Adrien with wide, disbelieving eyes. Cheeks red and a dreamy expression on her face, Marinette gave the two of them a brief wave and they waved slowly back before Alya winked at her in encouragement. Marinette could have sworn she heard Alya quickly whisper to Nino about a ship sailing, but it was too quiet and quick for Marinette to be sure.

Adrien lead her over towards the table he was sitting on, his books were neatly piled and organised ready for work, which made Marinette sigh to herself. He was so perfect at everything. Like a true gentleman, Adrien pulled out the seat next to his for her to sit down, and Marinette smiled gratefully and sat down. Adrien followed suit and turned to face towards her.

"So, what is it you most struggle with?" he asked.

Marinette thought for a moment. "I don't know. Physics I guess?"

"No problem." Adrien smiled. "Do you have your textbook with you?"

That's when Marinette realised that in her haste this morning, she had forgotten to pack all of the books she needed for the day. Frustrated and embarrassed, Marinette slammed her head against the desk, though she instantly regretted it as it caused the bump on her head she got from one of her nightmares to begin throbbing again. Great, now she felt paranoid and on edge again thanks to being reminded of her creepy nightmares.

"I forgot," Marinette grumbled.

"Didn't that hurt?" Adrien asked, and she could feel his wide, green eyes burning holes in the back of her head.

"Yes," Marinette admitted, sitting back up to rub her forehead.

Adrien gasped. "What did you do to your forehead?"

Marinette gasped as well, realising that rubbing her forehead must have brushed her hair out of the way, allowing Adrien to see the painful looking bump she was now sporting next to her graze.

"N-nothing," Marinette lied, removing her hand and patting her bangs back down to hide her injuries from view.

"Marinette, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Marinette insisted before turning towards Adrien with a sad smile. "If anything, I should be asking if you're okay."

"Oh," Adrien replied, looking down at the desk.

"Oh no, I'm sorry for bringing it up!" Marinette gasped out, wishing she could just learn to keep her stupid mouth shut.

"No no, it's okay," Adrien said, "I just, as pathetic as it sounds, I'm not really used to someone caring and taking an interest; it's nice."

"Adrien…" Marinette whispered feeling like she could cry at how sad Adrien sounded right now.

Her mind was plagued with thoughts about how lonely Adrien must feel sometimes. His mother missing from his life, a father who rarely provided any emotional support, and having little contact with other people in life apart from servants. She didn't doubt that Adrien's father did love him, he just had a very toxic way of showing it, and it broke Marinette's heart. She was glad that Adrien could get away from that environment when he was at school, and Marinette now resolved to do her best to make sure Adrien felt accepted and cared for.

"How are you feeling today?" Marinette asked, deep concern lacing her voice.

Adrien sighed. "Better than yesterday, though father still isn't talking to me after what I did yesterday. Though I suppose I'll see him less than normal these next coming days what with the party to prepare for."

"Party? What party?" Marinette asked, feeling confused.

"Everybody's talking about it," Adrien explained, "haven't you kept up to date with the Ladyblog lately?"

"I didn't realise you were interested in that?" Marinette asked in surprise.

Adrien's cheeks turned pink. "Y-yeah well…i-it is run by Alya…so I do it out of…umm…f-friendship?" He rubbed the back of his head, unable to look her in the eye.

"R-right," was all Marinette could respond with, confused as to why Adrien was acting so strange all of a sudden.

It was only the Ladyblog. She didn't mean to embarrass him by drawing attention to the fact that he kept up to date with it. Pretty much everyone did, and she was kind of flattered that Adrien admired her superhero alter ego, though she did wish he would pay attention to the real girl behind the mask.

"Anyway," Adrien said as he shook his head, "Mayor Bourgeois is holding a huge ball with Ladybug and Chat Noir as honorary guests in celebration of the defeat of so many akumas and keeping the city safe. The video of him inviting Ladybug and Chat Noir was put on the Ladyblog last night. Lots more people have also been invited, including my father."

Marinette wanted to slap herself for not frequently checking the Ladyblog lately. A ball? Marinette wasn't sure how she felt about that. It felt like something that would be the perfect opportunity for Hawkmoth to attack, knowing where they were going to be. Partying with high class people in society? Marinette wasn't sure she could handle that either, and if Mayor Bourgeois was the host then that meant Chloé was definitely going to be there.

That thought instantly put a sour taste in Marinette's mouth like she had just been sucking on a lemon. Then there was the fact of would it really be appropriate for her to go to a party right now? With everything that was going on, Marinette needed to be on high alert and try and figure out what was going on. A huge party would likely just be a distraction she couldn't afford right now.

"A-are you going?" Marinette asked timidly.

Adrien shook his head. "There's no way my father would let me. Especially after what happened yesterday."

Dang, then what was the point? Adrien would have been her one and only motivation to go.

"I'm sorry." Marinette gave him a small reassuring smile. "Your dad did look pretty mad yesterday."

"You have no idea." Adrien shuddered.

Swallowing down her fear, Marinette shyly touched the top of Adrien's hand with hers in a feeble attempt to offer him some form of comfort. Adrien gasped lightly, but otherwise made no attempt to remove his hand from hers. They remained frozen like that for a few seconds until Adrien moved his hand so it was now wrapped around Marinette's, and they both smiled at each other.

Marinette soon found herself lost in his beautiful green eyes, and watched in fascination as his pupils dilated slightly. His cheeks turned pink again, and both of their eyes soon found themselves drifting towards each other's lips again. However, this time, Adrien sighed and then retracted his hand from hers, much to Marinette's disappointment.

"We'll just share my textbook," Adrien offered, changing the subject and getting things back to normal. "So, what exactly is it that you're struggling with?"

"Umm, everything I guess?" Marinette sighed as she sat rigidly still next to him, her head spinning around in a confused mess at Adrien's actions.

~~

Master Fu smiled as he watched his last costumer of the day leave. His bones cracking slightly, he stood up, and now that the coast was clear, Wayzz flew out from his hiding place ready to assist his master with anything he needed. Master Fu merely stared at his green turtle kwami with a sad smile before he ran his fingers across his bracelet.

"Wayzz, my dear friend," Master Fu began, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to renounce you for a while."

"What?" Wayzz asked in confusion.

"A great evil has returned to the city, and if she was to get her hands on any of the other miraculous, the results would be devastating," Master Fu explained.

"But, Master –"

"It is the only way," Master Fu interrupted him. "However, there is something important that you must do for me."

Wayzz nodded. "Yes, Master."

"There will come a point where Marinette will come here. If something should happen to me between that time and I am not able to speak with her, the first thing she will likely do is take the miraculous to safety and summon you for answers."

Wayzz nodded again.

"And there is a message that I need you to pass on to her." Master Fu was about to speak again when the sudden sound of a door being slammed against prevented him from doing so.

Master Fu gasped and quickly turned back to Wayzz and took off his bracelet.

"Wayzz, I renounce you."

Wayzz gasped as he was sucked back into the miraculous. The bracelet glowed green before becoming dull once again. Hastily, Master Fu placed it back in its appropriate slot and closed the miraculous box, hiding it once again inside the record player. Confident that they were now all safely hidden, Master Fu turned towards the sound of two pairs of loud footsteps with a determined frown on his face.

Nina Couture slowly made her way around the corner, her high heels clicking loudly against the wooden floor. A smirk grew on her face when she caught sight Master Fu standing in the middle of the room, patiently waiting for her. Master Fu merely stood there watching her as Leon followed in behind her. Nina looked Master Fu up and down, her smile only growing wider and more manic.

"Hello… _Master_ ," Nina greeted him, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Hello, Nina," Master Fu greeted her back politely. "You're looking well."

Nina's face grew thunderous, though her voice remained calm. "Was that supposed to be funny?"

"No." Master Fu remained polite.

Nina smiled again. "Good. After you and Emilie decided to leave me for dead, I'm rather shocked that you're not more surprised to see me."

"Sabine Cheng knows you are here," Master Fu explained, "she informed me yesterday of the situation. She'll be fleeing with Marinette soon and you'll never get your hands on her."

"Is that so?" Nina scoffed. "What if I get to her before Sabine can flee with her?"

"You and I both know you can't do that." Master Fu smirked.

Nina's smile faltered.

"Because you don't have your miraculous."

"And whose fault is that!" Nina screamed, flying into a rage. "Emilie took everything away from me. Everything that was rightfully mine!"

"And that justified what you did to her? Your own best friend?" Master Fu calmly scolded her. “You caused her to suffer a fate worse than death."

"It was no less than she deserved." Nina rolled her eyes. "I thought that butterfly brooch had disappeared with her, but now I understand I made a miscalculation. It didn't disappear with her, and now her husband is in possession of it."

"So, Gabriel Agreste _is_ Hawkmoth after all," Master Fu mused.

"Don't tell me you weren't sure." Nina laughed. "You used to be smart, old man."

"Is that anyway to talk to your master?" Master Fu smiled at her. "I remember you so fondly Nina. You were such a bright young girl. You were such a promising miraculous wielder. What happened to you, my dear?"

"Don't go all understanding on me! It's too late for all of that!" Nina yelled, clenching her hands into tight fists. "Now where are all the other miraculous?!"

Master Fu remained silent, simply glaring back at her.

Nina sighed, squeezing the bridge of her nose before she looked back up and smirked at him. Her face grew dark, and her grin was sadistic as her deep blue eyes sparkled dangerously. She took one small step towards Master Fu as she clasped her hands together behind her back. She began to circle Master Fu like a tiger stalking its prey, agitated and ready to pounce.

Master Fu on the other hand, remained calm, leaning forwards against his walking stick, a small frown on his face as he refused to be intimidated by her. This only served to visibly make Nina angrier.

"Now," Nina chuckled out, "we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

Master Fu remained silent.

This only made Nina chuckle even more.

"Fine. The hard way it is," she purred as the sadistic grin that danced across her lips widened before slowly stalking towards Master Fu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I am so sorry for disappearing guys, I just cannot seem to organise myself lately. It's been driving me crazy. But it's starting to feel like things are settling down a bit more, so hopefully this story will go back to being updated every Wednesday. I hope... But thank you so much for being patient and for leaving kudos and comments! It all helps!


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